A political analyst and social commentator Ademola Adigun, has jumped to the defence of President of the Senate Bukola Saraki against the allegations of inappropriateness by the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The former Lagos State Governor had on Sunday accused the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, of allegedly hijacking and padding national budgets for the four years that the party had been in power.
He made the allegations in a statement made available to journalists by his media aide, Tunde Rahman, saying the two presiding officers of the National Assembly always padded the budgets with pet projects that profited them while they cut funds appropriated to projects that would have benefited Nigerians.
But Ademola in a Facebook post said, democracy is built on independence of the three arms and NASS should not be a rubber stamp.
He said, “Last year, I spent a substantial part of my time to explain the law making process. So much so that some said Saraki had hired me to launder his image. Certainly in this space, people will always throw mud on others. I wish he would or did”.
“BAT has stirred the hornets nest with some allegations of budget padding. I don’t have information if they do or do not”.
“Whenever I explained NASS as not the problem, feathers were ruffled. Many could not think beyond Saraki that they felt or still feel or is an enemy of state. They could not separate his character and person from his leadership of NASS, the outputs from NASS”.
“Several times the issue raised was delayed passage of the budget. What the commentators never put by the side of that commentary was the dates the budgets were submitted. Asides 2017 when the Executive submitted in November, all budgets were submitted in the last week of December”.
“A budget is a policy thrust of a government in numbers. It is saying put your money behind your mouth. Democracy is built on independence of the three arms. NASS should not be a rubber stamp” .
“When you elect a Senator, legislator, their role is to act as advocates for your constituency. If Ibadan is neglected in projects, my Senator and Reps are there to ensure that we get something”.
“NASS can be a saviour from tyranny of an Executive in a proper democracy. Our Senators are no saints nor are our legislators. Nor are our ministers and the President. No one arm is all demons and no one arm is all saints”.
“Intelligent persons know what BAT is aiming to achieve. He is a smart politician. No one will ask him, if he allows the Lagos House of Assembly independence in law making”.
“But who cares? In the Game of Thrones, it is good to line up behind a Stark or Lannister than behind the issue. Or a Targaryen”.
“It’s all about 2023 and positioning. May Nigeria win!”
