Protests Against Me Are Sponsored By My Political Enemies – Saraki

President of the Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, yesterday, alerted Nigerians of a plot to stampede him out of office through sponsored mass protests in Abuja and Lagos.

However, he said he remained committed to carrying out his responsibilities and would not be distracted by protests, which, according to him, are sponsored by people who could not get their stooge elected as Senate President and would want to achieve that feat through the back door.

A statement signed by Saraki’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, ‎in Abuja, yesterday, said the protests are meant to disturb public peace and further blackmail Saraki into succumbing to the wishes of some people to quit the office of Senate President.

The statement titled ‘Plot to Unleash Sponsored Anti-Saraki Protests Uncovered’ reads in part: “The Office of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has uncovered plots by some politicians to sponsor protest marches and demonstrations in which some hired people will be given placards to disturb public peace.

“As part of their plan, they are already distributing money and other materials to some faceless Civil Society Organisations, market men and women associations and other shadowy groups, with a view to instigating demonstrations in Lagos, Abuja and Ilorin starting from Monday, April 11.”

“They believe that the ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal provides them the opportunity to stampede Dr. Saraki out of office, so that their defeated objective of getting their lackey into the office of Senate President will be realised. This is another desperate move by these spineless politicians to achieve through the back door what they failed to realise on the floor of the Senate.

“We are alerting members of the public to the antics of these desperate politicians, which may result in breach of public peace, order and health. Dr. Saraki is a peace loving and law abiding politician. The trial at the CCT is just beginning, and while the prosecution’s witness has started giving evidence, he is yet to be cross-examined by the defence team. The defence has also not opened its own case. We urge members of the public to patiently wait for the conclusion of the case.

“Since the fundamental principle of our legal system is that an accused person is presumed innocent until he is found guilty, Dr. Saraki will not allow any distraction to take him away from his responsibility as President of the Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly,” the statement read.

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