Senate President Bukola Saraki has described the Senator representing Nasarawa west, Abdullahi Adamu, as a compulsive liar and an unreliable man, who will do or say anything to suit his situation at any point in time.
Saraki was reacting to the claim by Abdullahi that the he once referred to Senator Dino Melaye as “clown” in a private chat with him.
The senate president said Abdullahi has been peddling insults and lies about him, but, he has ignored him out of respect for his age.
In a statement signed on his behalf by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said: “I’ve deliberately ignored the antics of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, especially his constant media attack on me and the senate since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) dusted his file on alleged case of corruption and, also, went ahead to arraign his son in court.
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“So far, I had refrained from responding in kind, out of respect for his age. However, it seems he has misread my maturity and respect for docility. He feels the best way to play his self-survival game and ingratiate himself to the government, in order to save his skin, is for him to be seen to be fighting Saraki, even if that would require him to tell brazen lies and peddle mischief in his old age.
“However, I feel his latest statement, in an interview with a national newspaper, deserves a reaction from me. First, I could not have referred to my colleague, Senator Dino Melaye, as a clown, knowing that from available records, Senator Melaye has, so far, out-shone and has performed better than Senator Abdullahi, in terms of the number of bills sponsored, motion raised and contributions to debate on the floor.
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“Clearly, Abdullahi’s seven years cannot be compared to Melaye’s three years. Senator Abdullahi is free to challenge this assertion by showing his records.
“Again, I restate that Senator Adamu is a deceptive, manipulative and desperate liar. He only says what suits him as the occasion demands. I urge people to check his contributions on the floor before the EFCC moved against him and his son, and they will see that this is a latter-day, selfish supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari. We know what he was saying about the president and his administration, and what should happen in 2019 before then, during discussions with our colleagues, particularly the former governors in the Senate. I specifically recall some statements he made on the president and his administration during an official trip we made together to Morocco in March, last year. At the appropriate time, we will give more details.”
Saraki said Abdullahi’s statements should not be relied upon and labelled the former Nasarawa governor as a deceitful fellow who says what suits the situation that he finds himself.
“So, it is now he knows the senate has a bad leadership after three years? Well, since Senator Abdullahi Adamu became the attack dog of the executive in the Senate, using language unbecoming of a man of his age against me and other colleagues who he perceived he needs to disparage to reassure his handlers in the Presidency, I’ve realised that he simply deserves our sympathies. I’m sure those he thinks he is working for know he is a man who is only useful for the present moment.”