Date: 2018-02-04

A stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje on Saturday warned against an alleged plan by certain forces to impeach Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, saying any such move would surely boomerang at the end of the day.

He therefore warned those allegedly planning such an impeachment move to tread with caution so as not to heat the polity.

Baraje, a one-time acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), disclosed this in Ilorin while speaking with journalists on the sideline of a prayer session to commemorate his 67th birthday.

He said he was aware of the ongoing gimmicks by certain forces but warned that those behind the impeachment plot should tarry because of the dire consequences.

He stated that the Saraki's camp would be watching to know the length to which the plotters would go to achieve their target.

Baraje, a staunch ally of the Senate President, noted that the former Governor of Kwara State has been able to hold the grip on the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly like never before, insisting that he cannot be intimidated owing to the fact that he enjoys the confidence of his colleagues.

He recalled that a group within the Senate, which vehemently resisted Saraki's leadership at inception, had aligned and stood solidly behind him.

Baraje maintained that the President of the Senate was brilliant and full of hope and dream for Nigeria, warning that such lofty hope should not be destroyed on the altar of politics.

"Many of us helped to build APC. I'm one of them, he (Saraki) was and still one of them. We are still building the party. I think the party has not made a statement about the so-called threat to impeach him. We only learnt from the news that we read and from hearsays.

"And I think very sincerely, there must be ground before you impeach somebody like him, and they (Senators) have their own rules and regulations and we all have constitutions that guide impeachment", he added

Baraje stressed that, "If the Senate President is seen to have violated such rules, why not. But sincerely as of today and to the best of my knowledge, I don't think any Senate President in the past, in the immediate-past or long past, has held the Senate like Bukola Saraki has been holding it.

He (Saraki) has been seen to be a team player, he has been seen to be a leader that carries the Senate along and he has been seen to be somebody who can endure, give and sacrifice for this nation".

The APC leader noted further that, "Remember that he got to that position like a war, as if he was fighting a war. Today, even those people who opposed him are the most fanatical people who are his supporters today. So, what reason do you want to say you have to want to impeach such a person?

"I'm aware there are lots of gimmicks, but the worst one that would boomerang against anybody who is planning anything, is to say they want to impeach Bukola Saraki.

"That Senate is solid as I have never seen. I believe it would keep bouncing. There are other ways that the gimmicks are going, let us all keep watching. We can only wish Nigeria well.

"But I only hope and pray that Nigerians will not be destroyers of their hope. Bukola Saraki is young; that is what I mean by hope. He has age in his support; he is brilliant; he knows Nigeria; he has dream for Nigeria.

"If today, we now stand to say we want to destroy such people, then that is why I said I hope and pray that Nigeria will not destroy its own future".

On the 2019 general election, the APC stalwart urged those with governorship ambition within the ruling party in Kwara State to be cognisant of the tradition of the state political structure through which elective office holders are recruited.

Baraje admonished them to be wary of inordinate ambition and eschew any act that could heat up the polity.