Saraki accuses Buhari presidency of obstructing National Assembly during his tenure

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has accused the Muhammadu Buhari-led presidency of repeatedly harassing and obstructing the 8th National Assembly, which frustrated the passage of meaningful legislation during his tenure.

Speaking at the 2025 Reunion Gala of the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) in Houston, Texas, on the weekend, Saraki reflected on his time in office from 2015 to 2019, lamenting how the executive branch undermined the legislature’s role and function.

“The legislature is an institution created to make laws, oversee the executive, and represent the people,” Saraki stated, emphasizing the fundamental role of the National Assembly in a democratic system.

“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,” he added, in a speech shared by his spokesperson, Yusuf Olaniyonu.

Saraki went on to criticize the lack of public support during his tenure, stating that citizens remained silent amid persistent attacks on his leadership, weakening the National Assembly’s authority. He described the executive’s actions as an intentional effort to thwart the passage of beneficial laws, initiatives, and recommendations.

“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,” Saraki lamented. “We were like orphans.”

He also pointed out that both elites and ordinary citizens were nonchalant and uninvolved during that period. “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.”

Saraki highlighted several initiatives that were sabotaged by the executive, including an amendment to the Public Procurement Act. This amendment would have prioritized Nigerian-made goods and services to boost the local economy, but it failed to pass due to what Saraki described as political interference related to the 2019 election season.

“If I had agreed with everything the Presidency under Buhari wanted, I would have been hailed as a loyalist and ally,” Saraki said. “I could have cut deals all the way.”

Discussing Nigeria’s broader leadership crisis, Saraki criticized the lack of vision among many elected officials, who often rely on “government scammers” who recycle the same ideas across different administrations. He noted that this cycle of failure is a consequence of weak institutions.

“This is a big failure of followership, and it is an enabler for the continuous failure of leadership,” he stated. “These sad developments are indications that our institutions are weak. Instead of building institutions, we are building strong men and women.”

Saraki’s difficult relationship with the Buhari administration began in 2015, after he defied the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership to become Senate President with support from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His time in office was also marked by politically motivated court cases, leading to further tensions between him and the administration.

After defecting to the PDP, the APC made several unsuccessful attempts to remove Saraki from office.