The Kwara State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Bashir Bolarinwa, has raised an alarm accusing the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, of influencing and trying to persuade the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, to stop the inaguration of the Representative-elect of Ekiti/Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, Mr Raheem Olawuyi.
Remember, it was Mr Raheem Olawuyi of the ruling APC who won the Kwara just concluded bye-election into the Federal House of Representatives.
He, however, stated that he was confident that the alleged plot would fail because he believed that Dogora would not consent to such a plan.
Bolarinwa said this in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Saturday.
He said the allegations of malpractices and violence against the APC, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party were unfounded.
Bolarinwa said, “One of the plans they are hatching is that the Senate President himself will ask the Speaker of the House of Representatives not to swear in our rep-elect. That is one of the plans which they have but we know they will fail.”
But when contacted, Saraki’s media aide, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the allegation of using Dogara to stop Olawuyi’s inauguration was illogical, adding that Dogara did not take instructions from Saraki.
“Has the newly elected person presented himself to the Speaker? Does the Speaker of the House of Representatives work under the Senate President?
Has Olawuyi presented himself to the Speaker of the House of Representatives to be sworn in and he was stopped?”
Olaniyonu said, “The Senate and the House of Representatives are two different chambers. Does Dogara dictate to us? Can he dictate to the Senate President? Call the Speaker’s aide whether he has got the instructions not to swear in anybody.