APC was planning to expel Saraki -Sources

Senate President Bukola Saraki played a fast one on the All Progressives Congress (APC) by leaving the party to thwart the plan to expel him.

A legislative source revealed that the senate president announced his defection after getting wind of the plot to allegedly humiliate him.

The source said the national working committee of the party under the leadership of Adams Oshiomhole had finalised the plot to send the nation’s number three citizen out of its fold.

“Saraki announced his defection to avoid the sledge hammer dangling on his head. He got the wind of the  meeting and quickly announced his defection from the ruling party,” the source said.

On Monday, the APC leadership dissolved the Kwara faction loyal to Saraki and appointed a caretaker committee.

The next step was to come down hard on Saraki but he beat the party to it.

While announcing the defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Saraki said he was forced out of the ruling party.

He said he did all he could to reconcile with the leadership of the APC but some forces frustrated it.

Hours after Saraki made his decision known, reports emerged that the NWC of APC had issued a query to him.

In a resolution signed by Mai Buni, national secretary of the party, APC said the senate president had allegedly flouted the laws of the party and risked facing disciplinary measures.

Among the allegations levelled against Saraki were facilitating an enabling environment for the defection of some senators who were members of the APC; refusal of the senate to screen the nominees President Muhammadu Buhari sent to the upper legislative chamber after appointing them.

He was also accused of causing “untold embarrassment and ridicule” to the party and the government.

The allegations are: “That you have organised a public rally in your state where members of the party urged you to decamp to PDP. That as a follow up to the above the Kwara state governor who is known to be your staunch supporter Had made public pronouncements suggesting that he will decamp from the party as an indicator to your formal defection.

“That you used the office of the senate President to cause avoidable delays in the budgetary process and passage of the appropriation act into law thereby frustrating the implementation of the party’s manifesto and programs and frustrating the APC led Federal Government in the actualization of the campaign promises of the party.

“Converting the guest house of the senate President to meeting points and presiding over anti APC activities in the guest house and encouraging defection of senators from the party and presiding over such meetings and compiling a list of the said defectors including some without out their consent.

“Procuring joint letter of decampees from the APC and reading same on the floor of the senate including some who did not accede to defecting thereby causing embarrassment to the party. Inspite of the efforts to address grievances to reconcile aggrieved members, you worked against the process and encouraged the formation of an association which sought to impersonate and pass off the name of the party.”

The senate president was asked to respond within 48 hours or face sanctions.