Buhari’s govt bullied, blackmailed Eight National Assembly – Saraki

The former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, claimed on Saturday the Eighth National Assembly was repeatedly “bullied and blackmailed” by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

He stated this at the 2025 Reunion Gala of the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) in Houston, Texas.

Saraki served as the Senate president from 2015 to 2019.

The former Kwara State governor’s leadership of the upper legislative chamber was however unpopular among Nigerians because of the belief that he rode to the position through the backdoor in 2015.

He later returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2019 election but failed in his bid to return to the Senate.

Saraki was also prosecuted by the Buhari administration for false asset declaration and other criminal charges.

But he was discharged and acquitted by court for lack of substantial evidence by the prosecution.

A copy of the ex-Senate President’s speech at the US forum was shared with the media on Monday by his media aide, Yusuf Olaniyonu.

He alleged that efforts to pass impactful legislation were frustrated by the last administration.

Saraki also blamed Nigeria’s leadership problem on lack of clear plans or vision by elected officials.

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He said: “The legislature is an institution created to make laws, oversee the executive, and represent the people.

“A legislative leader must have character. He must be bold to speak truth to power. For me, the confidence to act in this manner came from these three sources.

“Why would I be a Senate President and could not lead the Senate to ask questions on what the loans the executive branch is seeking approval is meant to be spent for?

“We were not successful because the bill got caught in the politics leading to the 2019 elections and thus, did not get the required attention from the House of Representatives.

“The legislature under my leadership was silenced, harassed, assaulted, bullied, and blackmailed, and the executive deliberately frustrated the passage of good laws, initiatives, and recommendations that would have been highly beneficial to our society.

“We were like orphans.

“The elite and ordinary people kept quiet, were nonchalant, and stayed aloof.

“Now, years after we left office, subsequent leadership of the National Assembly would rather be a rubber stamp and play dumb because they do not want to go through the harrowing experience that Saraki went through.

“I could have agreed with everything the Presidency under Buhari wanted and cut deals with them all the way. I would have been a good ally.

“Thus, when I read posts on social media or stories in the traditional media criticizing the current National Assembly and praising our tenure, I just shrug my shoulders and feel unconcerned.

“This is a big failure of followership, and it is an enabler for the continuous failure of leadership.”

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