President reportedly shuns Saraki, Dogara

President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly refused to see Senate President, Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara following their repeated defiance of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Buhari is said to have shunned numerous attempts by Dogara and Saraki to see him, according to Punch.

This was disclosed by a leader of the APC, who chose to remain anonymous.

The APC leader said:

“The President has refused to see Saraki and Dogara since they emerged as senate president and speaker respectively. Both Saraki and Dogara have done everything possible to see the President but he has shunned them because he is not happy about their conduct. You can see that the President has seen the Lawan group; this shows where his support lies."

The party leader also stated that the emergence of Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate was still posing a problem for the APC.

“As deputy senate leader, Ekweremadu is automatically the Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Amendment. This is a sensitive position that, statutorily, should not be held by the minority. Ekweremadu and his PDP co-travellers will hamper the policies of the Buhari government. By the virtue of Senate rules, a member of the minority is not supposed to be the deputy senate leader; so, he is occupying the post illegally,” the APC leader said.

Saraki and Dogara were elected to the posts against the wishes of the APC after they went ahead to contest and win despite being excluded via a straw poll.

The APC had initially chosen Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila as its sole candidates for the positions.