Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki

13th President of the Nigerian Senate & Chair of the 8th Nigerian National Assembly (2015 - 2019)

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

How does a nation fight terror without losing the very freedoms it is fighting to protect?

This is the question at the heart of “Beyond the Bullet: Policing Terrorism in a Democratic System” by former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, and it is why I am at the Police Resource Centre in Jabi, Abuja, for the book’s public presentation today.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

I was delighted to celebrate with Soibi Ideriah Ovia this evening on her conferment with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Soibi is one of only a handful of women among the newly conferred Senior Advocates. She has more than earned her place through the diligence and integrity she brings to her work, and I am glad to see her receive this honour.

Congratulations, Soibi Ideriah Ovia, SAN. I wish you continued success in your practice.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

Congratulations once again, Mohammed Adelodun, SAN. May Almighty Allah (SWT) grant you wisdom in the years ahead and the grace to remain a role model to those coming after you.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

It is not every day you see a young man take silk, so I was especially glad to join Mohammed Adelodun at his investiture dinner this evening, just hours after he was sworn in as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

It has taken Mohammed years of hard work to get here. For any young Kwaran or Nigerian wondering whether the effort is worth it, I hope you look at him today and find a reason to keep going, even when progress feels slow.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

As we celebrate the centenary of Az-Zumratul Adabiyyatul Kamaliyyah, it is my prayer that this institution will continue to grow in strength and knowledge. May Almighty Allah (SWT) bless those leading it and its associated institutions, and may their work continue to bring honour to Kwara State, Nigeria and Africa.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

May Allah (SWT) continue to reward Sheikh Kamal-deen Al-Adabbiy for the legacy he left us.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

Today, I join our royal fathers, other dignitaries and the Adabiyyah family at Muhammad Kamalud-deen University, Ilorin, to celebrate 100 years of Az-Zumratul Adabiyyatul Kamaliyyah and attend the public presentation of its centenary book.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

Kwara!

It’s good to be home.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

When government buys Nigerian, it invests in Nigerians.

That is why I welcome the directive that ministries, departments, and agencies should purchase their vehicles from licensed local assemblers.

This takes me back to June 2016, when the 8th Senate passed a bill to amend the Public Procurement Act, making a preference for Nigerian-made goods mandatory. At the heart of that effort was a simple but significant change in Section 34: replacing “may” with “shall”.

We believed then, as I still do now, that public spending must help build domestic prosperity. When we buy what we produce, we support jobs, reduce pressure on foreign exchange, and give manufacturers the confidence to invest, expand, and employ more people.

I hope that this directive will be consistently implemented and its underlying principle embraced across every arm of government.

#MadeInNigeria

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

There is something reassuring about people whose commitment to improving lives begins long before the prospect of public office. Engr. Kale Kawu @EngrKaleKawu is one such person.

Ask those who have known him for several years, and they will speak of his generosity. Ask those who are meeting him for the first time, and they will tell you of his accessibility and his concern for the welfare of families across Kwara State. It is in these everyday acts of service that his impact is most keenly felt.

That is the Kale I know, and this is why I am proud to stand with him.

Today, I join his family, friends and our party faithful in celebrating the Dan Iyan of Ilorin and our governorship candidate for the 2027 gubernatorial elections on his birthday.

May Almighty Allah (SWT) grant him long life, sound health, and renewed wisdom and strength for the work ahead of us.

Happy birthday, Engr. Kale Kawu. May the years ahead bring even greater opportunities to serve.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

I am deeply saddened by the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State, which claimed the lives of all 25 people on board, including Air Force personnel and crew members.

My thoughts are with their loved ones and the entire Nigerian Air Force. I extend my deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragic loss.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

We congratulate both families on this happy occasion. To Temi and Maro, we wish you a home built on friendship and mutual respect. May God bless your union.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

Yesterday, Toyin and I were in Lagos to share in the joy of our friends Mr and Mrs Babajide Coker, and Mr and Mrs Pius Uwomano Malaka, at the traditional wedding of their children, Temitope and Oghenemaro.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

After jummah prayers, I spent a good part of today with Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki at the corporate headquarters of his company, the Kursi Group, the fastest growing mining company in the country based in Abuja.

It is always a delight to see one of our own from Kwara State doing well, and doing so on an international scale.

What he has built through the Kursi Group goes well beyond mining, buying and selling minerals. It is a big industry. He is processing and adding value to our mineral resources here at home. Instead of exporting the minerals raw, he is producing finished products, creating jobs and keeping more of the value within our communities.

Nigeria sure needs many more forward-looking, creative, and solid industrialists like him.

I wish him continued success in all his endeavours.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

Nigeria is 66 today.

Over the past few days, I have been reflecting on a generation of Nigerians who have known no other system of government but democracy. A generation that did not see the Union Jack come down in 1960. A generation that has never had to listen anxiously to a radio broadcast at dawn beginning with those two infamous words: “Fellow Nigerians.”

For those of us who lived through military rule, our return to democracy in 1999 meant a great deal. Simply being able to choose our leaders felt like a victory. Because it was.

But imagine saying this to a young Nigerian today, one navigating university, national service, or years of looking for a job. They understand that democracy matters. They would just like to know when this democracy that we celebrate will begin to make a difference in their own lives.

Can I finish school on time? Will I find work? Can I travel safely? Do I really have to leave my country to have a chance at the life that I want?

These are fair questions. And those of us who have held public office, myself included, owe young Nigerians better answers.

I do not believe that any young Nigerian asking these questions loves the country less. Sometimes, loving your country means refusing to accept less than what you know it can be. Because you know what is possible. You see the talent all around you. And you wonder why so much of it must struggle so hard to gain so little.

So, to the young Nigerian reading this, please keep expecting more. You should be able to build a good life here, close to the people you love.

Let that expectation shape how you vote, the questions you ask, and what you are prepared to accept from those you elect. And when the elections are over, keep paying attention.

At 66, we should be able to give you more reasons to believe in Nigeria.

That is the work we still owe you.

Happy Independence Day.

#NigeriaAT66

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

I have always admired the courage with which the Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, stands by his convictions. He says what he believes, even when it isn't the easiest thing to say, and through his ministry, so many people have found their faith.

As he turns 72 today, I pray that God continues to keep him in good health and grants him many more years of service to Nigerians and humanity.

Happy birthday, Sir.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

Happy birthday to the Turaki of Ilorin and Senator representing the Kwara Central Senatorial District, Senator Saliu Mustapha @RealMallamSaliu.

Whenever our Emirate calls, you always answer. May Almighty Allah (SWT) continue to grant you good health and many more fruitful years in the service of our people.

Many happy returns, Turaki.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

Toyin and I are happy to be in Lagos tonight to join family and friends in celebrating my dear brother and friend, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede @Aig_Imoukhuede, Chairman of Access Holdings Plc, on his 60th birthday.

It’s a pleasure to honour a man who has never stopped believing that this country can work better and who continues to do his part to make it happen.

Happy 60th, Aig. I wish you good health and many more years of making a difference.

[Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki]

It is often said that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

Back in 2016 and 2017, the 8th Senate, under my leadership, rejected Ibrahim Magu’s nomination as substantive EFCC Chairman not once but twice. Still, he remained in office illegally until July 2020, without confirmation by the Senate.

At the time, some called our decision political. It wasn’t. We were simply exercising our constitutional duty and standing by what was right. My colleagues in the 8th Senate and I, as well as our families and associates, endured what I can only describe as attempts by Magu to terrorise us. Doing what was right came at a huge personal and public cost.

Yesterday, the Court of Appeal ruled that Magu’s prolonged tenure as acting EFCC Chairman was indeed unlawful.

Nearly a decade later, I feel vindicated yet again.

For those of us who have had the privilege of serving this nation, the deepest lesson in all of this is that time may test one’s conviction, but it always ultimately reveals the value of standing on principle.