More than two months after his emergence as the Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has not visited the Presidential Villa to meet President Muhammadu Buhari.

Pundits believe the development is unusual and quickly add that it may be the fallout of Saraki's alleged connivance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to get the top position at the Senate.

The Senate president's action is also seen as a clear affront on the decision of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In agreement with Saraki's group, the role which PDP senators played at the red chamber, which culminated in the defeat of Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North) for the Senate presidency has therefore remained a major issue of concern. Our correspondent reports that the consequence of the connivance has made the villa, the country's seat of power, a no-go-area for Saraki and his colleagues in the rebellion train.

Saraki became the Senate president on June 9 when the APC senators had gone for a meeting with Buhari. His emergence was made possible by all the 49 senators of the PDP who were at the Red Chamber even when only nine APC senators where present.

It would be recalled that Senator Ahmad Rufa'i Sani (Zamfara West) nominated Saraki for the plum job. He was seconded by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West). Saraki's colleague in the rebellion, Rep Yakubu Dogara, who emerged as Speaker of the House of Representatives had gone to see the President thrice. The first was at the peak of the impasse in June; the second was on the eve of the resumption of the House of Representatives on July 27th; and the last was penultimate weekend when, he went with his benefactor, the Governor of Sokoto, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Perhaps, Dogara's case was purportedly 'pardoned' in view of the fact that he later considered the APC's candidate, Femi Gbajabiamila, to become a top principal officer (Leader of the House).

It was gathered that Dogara considered Gbajabiamila for the position after President Buhari gave the lawmakers six hours marching order to end the impasse. But in his case, Saraki allegedly left Senator Lawan 'floating' at the red chamber, though some pundits close to the senator from Yobe said he was also not keen in being part of the 'contraption'.

Since the crisis began, Lawan, a ranking senator has been keeping mum. It was observed that the third term senator has not stood up at the floor to contribute to any debate since the resumption of the Senate on July 28th.

Although there are insinuations that Lawan is being considered for the chairmanship of a juicy committee, observers of happenings at the National Assembly are of the view that no position given to him would heal the wound. However, it was observed that unlike weeks ago, Lawan's interactions with colleagues had significantly improved few days before the lawmakers proceeded on six weeks' recess.

In retrospect, the first and the only time Saraki met with Buhari since the inauguration of the 8th Senate was on Sallah day at the eid praying ground in Abuja.

Pundits who analyse the comportment of the president said all was not well between the duo. Similarly, watchers of political intrigues at the villa said Saraki and his men have made several moves to visit Buhari but the president was reluctant in seeing them.

"In view of the emergence of Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP as the Deputy President, Buhari is angry because, as someone who worked with people of like minds to chase the PDP out of power, it makes no sense for the president to accept someone who violated the decision of the APC," one of the observers said. Weeks ago, the social and online mediums were awash with news of moves by the Senate president, who sought the help of the traditional ruler of his home town, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, to mediate between him and Buhari.

"But indications have emerged that nothing serious came out of the mediation, at least for now. This is evident in the fact that Saraki has still not gone near the villa. Although Senator Ali Ndume who contested with Ekweremadu had during a plenary dispelled reports that the PDP senators were rewarded with the position of Deputy Senate President position, it is widely believed that it was an agreement reached by the Saraki team.

Analysts believe that if there is no cordial relationship between the Senate leadership and the Presidency, many issues bothering on governance and service delivery to the electorate will suffer.

It would be recalled that when they were Senate president 1999 to 2000 and 2003 to 2005 respectively, Chuba Okadigbo and Adolphus Wabara had a rough tenure in view of their perceived 'bad relationship' with President Olusegun Obasanjo. Commenting on the frosty relationship, a constitutional lawyer, Barrister Festus Okoye said: "It is in the interest of the people of Nigeria that both the Executive and Legislative arms of government remain independent of each other and at the same time work symbiotically for the people of Nigeria. This is important because both arms of government wield the powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"Furthermore, the APC as a political party had promised to change the face and dynamics of governance in Nigeria and the Nigerian people are waiting eagerly for the change.

"It is a fact that the country has been drifting and that the economy of Nigeria is in the doldrums and needs urgent resuscitation. The security situation in the country is still deteriorating and the people want urgent action to restore sanity in the country. It is therefore the duty of the three branches of government to lead the drive towards a new Nigeria.

"Without cooperation, critical laws that will drive the process of change may not be passed and or passed on time. Without cooperation, the legislature may not carry out critical oversight functions that will prevent corruption and corruptive influences in critical departments and agencies of government," Okoye said in an interview.

Proffering solution to the frosty relationship, Okoye, who is the executive director of Human Rights Monitor said, "the ruling party must accept the fact that it has a responsibility to put its house in order.

"It must also accept the fact that as a party, it needs time to weld together its constituent parts into one formidable party. Most of the parties that went into the merger still retained their separate structures and their tendencies and affiliations. The leadership must design measures and mechanisms of welding them into one single formidable party.

"It is also important for the leadership to design clear means and mechanisms of leadership emergence in the various organs of government. Are governors permitted to nominate or suggest names of ministers? Who is to be consulted in the nomination of commissioners? What should inform the sharing of leadership positions? These are issues that are germane and the party must have a general line and position on them," he said.

According to him, both parties should accept responsibility for what has happened and find accommodation that will enable them to move forward. He added that the Senate president should try and accommodate other interest groups in the Senate and in the APC.

But one of the aides of Saraki, who spoke on condition of anonymity said the relationship between Senate President and Buhari is not as bad as the media are painting it.

"The relationship is not as bad as you people in the media are claiming. We are in change era where we are all craving for things to be done rightly. So it is better for him to stay and do his job rather than junketing here and there. As you know, there must be separation of power between arms of government," he said in an interview with our correspondent at the National Assembly.

Also speaking on the issue, the spokesman of the Senate, Dino Melaye, said there was no ill-feeling between Buhari and Saraki.

"I want to state that there is nothing that Buhari has brought here that has not received our expedited action. Our wish at the 8th Senate is that the president succeeds. We will not only work towards this but we will enact laws that would make him succeed," he said during an interview on the perceived frosty relationship.

Who will bail the cat and facilitate Saraki's visit to the villa? Nigerians are watching and waiting.