“My hands were tied,” Senate President Saraki tells APC

Following the current crisis rocking both the National Assembly and the ruling party on their choices of candidates for the principal positions in the Senate.The Senate President on the 25th of June June wrote a letter which was addressed to the APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun explaining to him how tight his hands are to obey his request.
He explained and stated that would have loved to respect the party’s wishes but his hands were tied in the circumstances.You can also find the full scanned letter after the cut,

“The said letter was received after various APC zonal caucuses had taken the decisions to nominate
candidates as principal officers of the Senate in line with parliamentary conventions and the extant provisions of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as amended (Chapter V1, Rules 28, 29, & 31 refers). This was followed up to the prior APC Senate Caucus meeting held on 23rd June, 2015.” Mr. Saraki said.
“Accordingly, the letters transmitting the decison of the APC Senate Caucuses do not conform to the recommendations as contained in your letter under reference. (Please see annextures 1,2 and 3 attached herewith.)
“Furthermore, while one is strongly persuaded to toe the party line and act in accordance with the suggested party position, regrettably, clear provisions of our extant rules and standard parliamentary convention have not given one that leeway to act otherwise.
“Therefore, my hands are tied in the circumstances and I seek your understanding.”
The senate president however said he remained loyal to the party and its leadership and committed to the change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“However, I wish to state without equivocation that I remain loyal to our great party and its leadership and also fully committed to the change agenda of Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”