Former Senate President has dismissed claims that he endorsed the second-term bid of President Bola Tinubu.
An aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Demola Olanrewaju, had earlier suggested that Saraki’s recent remarks on power rotation amounted to indirect support for Tinubu.
However, in a statement issued in Abuja by Yusuph Olaniyonu on behalf of the Saraki Media Office, the former Senate President described such interpretations as “mischievous” and misleading.
He stated that it was wrong for his statement that the South should be allowed to complete eight years in office as an endorsement of any individual.
Olaniyonu said, “He is not someone who will say A in the afternoon and do B in the night. Nor does he speak in coded terms”, adding that Saraki has always stood firmly by his convictions regardless of political consequences.
The media office further noted that Saraki’s position on zoning was not new, recalling that he was among the key stakeholders who supported the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
It added that the position should not be misconstrued as backing any particular aspirant, stressing that there are multiple potential contenders from the southern region.
The statement also pointed out that Saraki had clearly stated he would wait for the PDP to complete its internal processes and produce a candidate before making his position known.
He said Saraki expressed the belief that by 2031, the presidency should rotate back to the North, leaving no ambiguity about the region’s turn to produce the next president at that time.
He accused political actors of deliberately twisting Saraki’s comments to suit their personal ambitions, warning against what it described as attempts to create confusion within the opposition.
It said such misinterpretations reflect “desperation and calculated efforts” to manipulate public perception for political advantage.
