The leader of the South South Peoples Assembly and respected elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, has reacted to the letter making the rounds in the media, purportedly written by him against the person of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, saying that the letter was written five years ago to settle the rift in the Saraki family at the time.
In a letter dated August 13, 2018, and signed by the statesman himself, Chief Clark therefore, advised the general public to disregard the letter, as it is the hand work of mischief markers, adding that the Senate President is his son with whom ‘I enjoy a good relationship’.
Below is full text of Chief Clark’s letter:
13th August, 2018
RE: PERSONAL LETTER TO SEN. BUKOLA SARAKI, THE ELDEST SON OF MY BOSSOM FRIEND, THE LATE SEN. DR. OLUSOLA SARAKI, FORMER LEADER OF THE 2ND REPUBLIC SENATE.
A REJOINDER –
My attention has been drawn to a letter (albeit altered) on the above subject matter currently being circulated in the social media, with the intent to misinform and mislead the reading public.
The said letter which I wrote over 5 years ago was written out of despair and anger, at the time, to reach Dr. Bukola Saraki, who was then the Governor of Kwara State, in order to mediate in a misunderstanding between my very close friend, his father, late Dr. Olusola Saraki, Waziri Ilorin, his daughter Sen. Gbemi Saraki on one side, and his son, Dr. Bukola Saraki himself. The circumstances that led to my writing the letter have been settled long ago. Today, Bukola Saraki is my son with whom I enjoy a good relationship. It is, therefore, surprising that this letter written over five years ago was altered in the said social media publication to suit the whims and caprices of the authors.
Let me reinstate that the late Dr. Olusola Saraki, father of the Senate President, Sen. Dr. Bukola Saraki, was my very good friend and colleague, in the Senate of the Second Republic where he was Senate Leader. Thereafter, both of us were leaders of our respective geopolitical zones. While he was leader of the Northern Union, NU, I was Leader of the South -South Peoples Assembly, SSPA.
When the Northern Union, under the leadership of late Dr. Olusola Saraki was campaigning for a President of Nigeria from northern extraction, I also led the SSPA to campaign for a President to emerge from the South-South Zone. However, in the interest of peace and harmony of our dear country, we held series of meetings in Warri, Delta State, and in Abuja, which eventually culminated into an acceptable consensus on the platform of equity and justice for all. Our friendship blossomed and we remained great confidants until he left to be with the LORD, some seven years ago.
Today, I have a duty to stand by my son Dr. Bukola Saraki, and also defend him, from any act of persecution, aimed at destroying his illustrious political career and his father’s rich legacy.
This opportunity presents itself for me to remind all Nigerians that my late friend, Dr. Olusola Saraki was one of the most outstanding Nigerians, ever, in his chosen medical profession, in business and above all in the building of our democracy of which he was the Leader of the Senate in the 2nd Republic where he was loved and respected by all Senators, some of whom were our founding fathers. The upstart political leaders who tried to deride his land mark achievements should therefore, take heed and redress from their actions. I, therefore, do not care whose ox is gored. It is petty, irresponsible, wicked and mischievous for any person or group of persons to use my open letter which I wrote as far back as 2013, for cheap cheap political points.
I wish to admonish every mischief maker to beware of any evil intent to surreptitiously manipulate and make issue out of this to score cheap political milestone that the spirit and content of the original letter was not intended for.
Chief Dr. Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, OFR, CON
Senator of the 2nd Republic of Nigeria
