ASUU Strike Would Have Ended If It Was Under PDP Gov’t – Saraki

Former President of the Nigerian Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki has blamed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the lingering strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Naija News reports that public universities in Nigeria have been shut down for months over disagreements between the federal government and ASUU executives.

Addressing a press after Eid-el-Kabir prayers in Ilorin, Kwara State capital on Saturday, Saraki who lost the opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential primary election former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, said the ASUU strike would not have lingered if it was the PDP in power.

He stressed that there was no way the strike will remain this long either in his capacity as the Senate President or as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum.

Naija News understands that Saraki in a post via his Twitter handle earlier, said that the lack of compassion by members of the ruling APC could not be disconnected from the continuation of the prolonged ASUU strike.

He said: “there is no way that I would have allowed this ASUU strike to continue for this long either in my capacity as the Chairman of the NGF or as the Senate President. It is unacceptable. ”

The former Governor of Kwara State had also boasted earlier that during his tenures as the NGF chairman and the President of the eighth National Assembly, peace was ensured between ASUU and the Federal Government.

Saraki while addressing journalists over the weekend said, “It is due to lack of dedication and compassion on the part of some of those in power today. It is also the difference between the Peoples Democratic Party government and the government we are having now.”

The 2023 presidential aspirant added that many of the present elements in the PDP chose to remain in the party due to their desire for a better Nigeria. He subsequently urged Nigerians to vote for the PDP in the 2023 elections.

“Many of us had a choice to stay in the comfort of our rooms and enjoy ourselves than taking the hardline posture of being in an opposition party. We can’t have a PDP government in power today and ASUU strike will continue for months. The only hope is to get our Permanent Voter Cards to vote to power a better government like ours,” Saraki said.