In a bombshell audio that surfaced Saturday, Senate President Bukola Saraki is heard saying his real grouse for “fighting” President Muhammadu Buhari and quitting the All Progressives Congress (APC) was because after investing about 10 billion naira for the president’s election in 2015, he was shut out from “patronage” especially regarding juicy appointments.

The audio, which had Saraki speaking in Yoruba, was published by Kayode Ogundamisi, a pro-Buhari public commentator and media contributor, via his Twitter handle. It was said to be in a recent meeting between Saraki and his loyalists in Kwara State.
The audio has not been independently verified by Ripples Nigeria and Saraki is yet to respond to the trending audio since it surfaced early on Saturday.
In the recording, the Senate President was heard saying that during the run-up to the 2015 general elections, he bankrolled President Buhari’s campaign in every state of the country except the six South-West states.

He said he spent between N200m, N300m and N400m per state with the hope that when Buhari got into office, he would be able to recoup his investments.
But Saraki said Buhari dashed his hopes.
He said, “What is the benefit of people that are campaigning for the APC? What is their track record? Use me as an example. When I left the PDP for the APC in 2014 and was campaigning for the APC like never before, we went to every state to campaign with Buhari up until the election time.

“Out of the 36 states, I paid election money in 30. Some collected N300m while some collected N400m, some collected N200m. The only states, where I had nothing to do with was in the South-West.

“Even on the phone I was calling and giving banks instructions. Our thinking was that when we get elected, we would get the majority of appointments. I even told majority of you then that we shall all be going to Abuja together after the election.

“I thought some of you will be appointed to head federal agencies like road maintenance, like FERMA, NITDA, NPA and others. Because I know that if any Kwara son becomes even just the ED of UBEC, I know what he can approve from his desk. Whether N1m or N2m.

“But for the first time, since we joined politics, you have a President of the Senate or even speaker that cannot appoint a cleaner. I am not referring to board appointments like board appointment which just collect money per sitting. If you look at the agencies they appoint executive positions, what do you want me to say?”

The full translation of the audio by Ogundamisi is as follows:

“All that you have complained about tonight is on point, I can not find anything you have said that is not on point, you complained about empowerment.
“Let us agree that the last 3 and a half years, things have not been easy at all, I agree and accept things have not been easy at all, particularly in the area of empowerment.
“Before 2015 I have always tried to empower the youth and get you involved in appointments, but this time around as a result of what I call human factor, things have not been the same, I believe it is the will of God.
“When you all are complaining and you give example of Gegele and co and you compare it to what is happening now, I am sure you are asking yourself, what is happening? how come all of you struggling with me are not rewarded, it is unacceptable.
“What is the point of putting everything into the emergence of a government and we could not benefit anything from the government, you are asking yourself, what have you benefited.
“If you have not benefited personally in the last 3 and a half years, how do you go to market us, won’t people ask you what you have benefited for yourself?
“It got to a stage that people will be making fond of you and asking you what you have benefited, but what is happening from Abuja, use me as an example, in 2015 I carried @OfficialAPCNg on my head around Nigeria.
“Hardly any state in Nigeria that I did not campaign for @MBuhari, up to the time of the election in 2015,

listen to the audio here: https://rowzyradio.com/leaked-audio-im-fighting-buhari-because-after-spending-over-n10bn-in-2015-he-refused-to-reward-meno-money-no-patronage-saraki