The Senate President, who spoke to select journalists in an exclusive interview in Abuja on Saturday, told them (Journalists) he has great respect for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who is one of the leaders of their party (APC) and in few days to come he would meet with him to discuss the lingering crisis rocking the party.
''With regards to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; as you all know, he is one of the leaders of the party,'' he told Journalists. ''I have great respect for him. We have worked closely together before. Unfortunately my group did not agree with him on this issue.''
''However, we are both responsible and committed to the project of the party and Nigeria that we will overcome this and move forward. It is part of our plans, as part of the healing process, to meet with him and it will happen soon,'' Saraki added.
On reconciling with APC and Senator Ahmed Lawan:
''I have also had an opportunity to sit down and discuss with Senator Ahmad Lawan as part of our reconciliation efforts. I am confident that this matter will soon fizzle out because we are making serious efforts,'' he said.
On striking a deal with the PDP:
''Never in our wildest imagination did we envisage that some senators would not be present on the day of the inauguration,'' he said. ''In my view, and in the view of some of those who worked closely with me, I worked hard for my election. I had direct contact with every single senator; one on one. Weeks to the election, I did not rely on anybody. I worked hard, both in our party, the APC, and out of it.
''I approached every senator, I talked to them. We built confidence, not only in the APC, but, also, in the PDP. I talked to them. That was why I laugh when people said that I had a deal with Ekweremadu or I had a hand in the emergence of Ekweremadu.
''With regard to the deputy, when they told us that they had a candidate, we, too, told them we had a candidate for Deputy Senate President in the person of Senator Ali Ndume.
''We never, in our wildest imagination, thought they (other APC senators) would not turn up. By the time we got there, we were only 24 while the PDP was more than 40.
''It is unfortunate that we have a PDP man as deputy Senate President. It is painful. It is painful for any APC member because when we went through the struggle that was not what we signed for.
''One of the meetings was held at Transcorp Hilton and Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Ibrahim Gobir co-chaired it. Both the APC and the PDP members were present.
''At that meeting, if you heard most of them there, the position they took was that ‘this is the Senate President they want. Across party lines, they said that they believe in me and that this is the Senate President that can lead us. There was no deal.''
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