Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has rejected suggestions that President Bola Tinubu wielded significant influence during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Saraki addressed questions about whether Tinubu played a role in the political and legal challenges he encountered while serving as Senate President.
Reports had circulated that Tinubu betrayed him during Buhari’s tenure, but Saraki dismissed such claims.
According to Saraki, Tinubu did not possess the level of authority many assumed within Buhari’s government, and he had no involvement in the decisions that led to Saraki’s prosecution.
“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 clarified that the legal cases he faced—including proceedings at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and investigations related to the Offa robbery—were independent of Tinubu’s influence.
Reflecting on his time as Senate President, Saraki emphasized that he acted based on what he believed was best for the nation, even though his decisions later made him a target of political persecution.
“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.
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He concluded by stressing that Tinubu was not among those who orchestrated or executed the actions that led to the Code of Conduct Bureau trial or other allegations against him during that period.