Why I defied APC’s position on Principal officers –Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki has written to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) why
he decided to defy party position on selection of principal officers in the Senate saying his “hands were tied” regarding the selection of principal officers of the senate.
It could be recalled that on 23, John Oyegun, national chairman of APC, had written to Saraki, stating the party’s choice of principal officers of the senate.
The APC had nominated Ahmad Lawan as senate majority leader, George Akume as deputy majority leader, Olusola Adeyeye as chief whip, and Abu Ibrahim deputy chief whip.
However, on Thursday, Saraki announced Ali Ndume as majority leader, Bala Na’Allah as deputy majority leader and Francis Alimikhena as deputy chief whip after the various APC senate caucuses nominated them. In his letter dated June 25, the senate president explained that the APC senate caucuses had already taken a decision on the matter before he received the letter from the party. “
"The said letter (Oyegun’s letter) was received after various APC zonal caucuses had taken their decisions to candidates as principal officers of the? senate in line with parliamentary convention and the extant provisions of the senate standing orders 2015 as amended,”
Saraki’s letter read. “Furthermore whilst one is strongly persuaded to toe 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 me that leeway to act otherwise.
"Therefore, my hands are tied in the circumstances and I seek your understanding in this regard.” However, he added that without equivocation he remained “loyal to our great party and its leadership and also fully committed to the change agenda of the Mr President?."