REASONS FOR THE ANIMOSITY BETWEEN BUKOLA SARAKI AND ROTIMI AMEACHI

BUKOLA SARAKI AND ROTIMI AMEACHI

It is uncertain what breed Senate President Bukola Saraki and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi belong but what is infinitely confounding about both men is their bothersome capacity to treat each other with loathing and contempt. It’s exclusive: they do not see eye to eye.


The increasing fracas between Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, would make the Grand Canyon look less wide.
Interestingly, both have shared good times been friends and political associates for more than a decade. Apart from belonging to the same All Progressives’ Congress, APC, they have so much in common. Saraki and Amaechi are in their early 50s and are both two term-governors in Kwara and Rivers States respectively.


Amaechi in turn succeeded Saraki as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. Brilliant and non-conforming, they were in the forefront of the revolution that led to the defection of some influential governors from the People’s Democratic Party, and the Goodluck Jonathan-must-go campaign which they succeeded at executing.


For some time now, the two political titans have not been seeing eye-to-eye. Though some political observers are of the opinion that the run-in might have arisen from Saraki’s alliance with the opposition which saw to his emergence as Senate President, against the party’s wish. However, other sources say Saraki actually prevented Amaechi from getting the vice presidential slot under Muhammadu Buhari in the build-up to the 2015 presidential elections because Ameachi is a Nige Deltan before Acting President Prof. Yemi Osibajo was picked as Buhair’s running mate.


What is not in contention however is the evolution of a deep-seated animosity which the leaders have turned a blind eye to as both are powerful and have the resources for any warfare. Alas, possible reconciliator President Buhari that could have intervened has been incapacitated for months in the U.K. It is left to be seen if the two power brokers would find a middle ground in the days ahead for a possible reconciliation.