Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has denied claims that President Bola Tinubu betrayed him during the administration of late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mr Saraki spoke on Thursday in an interview with Channels TV’s Politics Today.
He said it would be wrong to blame President Tinubu for the political and legal issues he faced while serving as Senate President.
He said Tinubu did not have the level of influence many believed he had in the late former President Buhari’s government and was not involved in decisions around his trial.
“That’s not fair on President Tinubu. During former President Buhari’s administration, Tinubu didn’t have the say that they claimed he had,” he said.
Saraki said his prosecution at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and investigations linked to the Offa robbery were not influenced by Tinubu. He added that he acted in what he believed was the interest of the country while in office.
“I was doing what I felt was in the interest of the country as the President of the Senate, and for doing those things I was then persecuted,” he said.
He also said Tinubu was not among those who initiated or carried out actions that led to the case at the Code of Conduct Bureau or other allegations against him at the time.
In the 2027 election, Saraki said he would not run for president. He said it was fair to allow the South to complete eight years in power.
According to him, he supported his party’s position that the presidency should be zoned to the South in 2027 and said he would abide by that decision.
Bukola Saraki also spoke on politics in Kwara State. He said he had stayed close to the people and was aware of their concerns. He added that he would support efforts by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to improve governance in the state.
On security, he said the situation in Kwara had changed. He linked the presence of bandits in parts of the state to gaps in security vigilance.
He said some areas had become targets because they were less guarded.
