*Buhari magnanimous to pick ministerial nominees from states that gave less than five per cent votes*
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has described former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki as a “smartest political player, seasoned smart guy.”
He explained how it took his party patience and perseverance to shut out Saraki from politics at both national and local levels.
He said: “Remember, I was saying that Saraki must be removed, people would say how would I do it? I said okay if he resists removal then we would uproot. We went to Kwara, we did Otoge, we uprooted Saraki and you cannot commend me for this? You know who Saraki is?
“If you are talking of the smartest political player, seasoned smart guy, he is. But for every smartness he has, I have a superior smartness. At the end of the day, who won? As a Senate President, we uprooted him as senator, we uprooted his nominee for governor, and senators, we put our own.”
The APC national Chairman explained that the former President of the Senate as of today has failed to produce any politician in the Senate and at the state level.
According to him, “Today, he doesn’t have one senator in Kwara, he doesn’t have one House of Representatives member in Kwara. Everything in Kwara is APC and you can’t commend me for that? If you don’t, then I will be like the lizard – I will praise myself if newsmen don’t praise me.”
Meanwhile, Oshiomhole has urged Nigerians to mount pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari and his government to deliver in the second term.
The APC chairman, who stated this yesterday while briefing State House Correspondents after his meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said all parts of the country have been patronized, so far, in the selection of ministers for the next Federal Executive Council (FEC).
According to the APC chairman, the team of ministers would definitely perform to support President Buhari in delivering the good to Nigerians.
He said: “I am very optimistic that these ministers coming with all of us working together, the party, the executive which the ministers belong and the National Assembly where we have overwhelming majority, we have what it takes to take Nigeria to the next level and the next level we are going there.
“So, what you and I should insist on is that in the president’s second term, in this next level, our party, our government at the centre, state and local government level must deliver.”
The APC chairman stated that President Buhari has succeeded in patronizing all sections of the country through the list of ministerial nominees sent to the National Assembly for confirmation.
Oshiomhole noted that in selecting the nominees for the second term cabinet, Buhari picked two candidates from even a state that gave him less than five per cent votes in the 2019 presidential election.
The APC boss’ comment is coming on the heels of criticisms that have trailed the list regarding the personality of those nominated by President Buhari for membership of the next FEC. Some Nigerians have faulted the President for failing to include technocrats in the next cabinet.
Responding to those who described the list as an exercise of political patronage, Oshiomhole said: “Patronage can be positive or negative. But if there is one man who has shown the capacity to patronize all, including where he did not win election, it is President Buhari.
“Otherwise, where we got less than five per cent, I saw two ministers coming from that state. That speaks volumes about a large heart, to accommodate, appreciate and to have an all-inclusive government.”