Today's space is turned over to this rejoinder:

I have read the above article by Abu Najakku in his Tuesday column of June 23 with amusement. Before I proceed further, let me disclose my conflicts of interest. First the Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON, is a trained medical practitioner like my humble self and secondly, he is from Kwara Central, while I am from Kwara North. Najakku stated in the first paragraph that most followers of Buhari were chagrined by what they considered as Saraki's heretical methodology for emerging Senate President. I do not agree with such assertion.

Najakku also said the party was absolutely right in characterising Saraki's politics at the Senate as treacherous. I will like Lai Muhammed or Shehu Garba or Femi Adesina to make public the letter from Buhari that said there was going to be a meeting between the President, APC senators - elect and the party officials at the international conference centre on the 9th of June after he has (sic) issued one to the clerk of the National assembly for the proclamation of the 8th Assembly by 10am prompt on same day. Remember Mr President has (sic) just returned to the country from Germany around 12.00am of that very day.

The was (sic) no tango between Bukola Saraki and his late father, Dr Olusola Saraki (May Allah grant him Aljannah Firdaus) over the 2007 gubernatorial election in Kwara state. It was in 2011 that the two had differences about who was to succeed Bukola Saraki as the governor of Kwara State. The father's choice was Senator Gbemisola Saraki the step-junior sister to Bukola Saraki, while the son's choice was Abdulfatai Ahmed from Kwara south. The latter won the election in 2011

while Bukola was elected Senator from Kwara central. We practice politics of consensus, zoning and rotation in Kwara State Any Kwaran can become governor irrespective of his religious, ethnic or sectional background in the state. While everyone is concern (sic) about how to fix Nigeria in 2015 after the disgraceful performance of the PDP, Najakku and his likes are already talking about 2019. He even said that it was doubtful that Saraki's Senate Presidency could truly be a stepping stone to Nigerian Presidency in 2019! He further wrote that Saraki has a limited constituency that he is an unknown quantity and his state cannot even deliver one million votes. What an insult and air of arrogance by Najakku. Allah said in the Holy Qur'an that; 'He is the Lord of Power, Who givest Power to whom He likes, and He stripest off Power from whom he Likes'. Q3:26. If not because of the above verse how could people like Goodluck Jonathan from a State that cannot deliver 500,000 votes become the President of Nigeria? If it is the wish of Allah for Bukola Saraki to become the President of this great Country there is nothing anybody can do about it.

I disagree with him that Saraki is like bat politically and that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the leader of the Yoruba. I can say it any day with certainty that Tinubu is not the leader of Yorubas in Kwara and Kogi States. When Bola Tinubu was governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2003, Bukola Saraki was Special Assistant on Budget matters to President Olusegun Obasanjo. Between 2003 and 2007 that Tinubu was serving second term of office as governor, Bukola Saraki got elected for his first term in office as governor of Kwara State. Bukola Saraki got elected for his second term as governor of Kwara State between 2007 and 2011, the period he also served as elected Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) at the age of 45years! Still Najakku wants the readers to believe that Bukola Saraki is not well known in Nigerian political land scape.

Bukola Saraki should be more trustworthy than Bola Tinubu since the latter once betrayed their own presidential candidate of ACN, Nuhu Ribadu in 2011 elections. Tinubu delivered the Lagos votes to PDP instead of ACN. Najakku should please come out clean to tell the readers that he is still in shock because his preferred candidate, Senator Ahmed Lawan was not elected Senate President and perhaps his dream of becoming his special adviser on media and publicity was dashed. Period! I do not want (sic) talk about Lai Muammed now who once contested for governorship election in Kwara State under ACN in 2011 and he was defeated by Bukola Saraki's group.

Finally, I want to conclude by saying that Bukola Saraki's victory will never be PYRRHIC and by the special grace of Allah nothing will happen to him and to us. Hasbunallahi wa ni'imal wakil (Allah will be sufficient for us and He will be our Protector), Ameen.

Prof Nma Muhammad Jiya, is Professor of Paediatrics/Chief Consultant Paediatrician, Department of Paediatrics, Usmanu Danfodiyo University/ Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.