Edwin Clark: Saraki is my son… I have a duty to stand by him

Edwin Clark, Niger Delta leader and convener of Pan-Niger Delta Forum, says he stands by Senate President Bukola Saraki in his “current travails”.

Clark said this while reacting to reports that he wrote a letter of condemnation to Saraki.

He said the letter in circulation was the altered version of the one he wrote to the senate president in 2013.

Clark explained that what he wrote in the past was because of a misunderstanding between Saraki and his father.

“My attention has been drawn to a letter (albeit altered) currently being circulated in the social media, with the intent to misinform and mislead the reading public,” he said in a statement.

“The said letter which I wrote over five years ago was written out of despair and anger at the time to reach Saraki, who was then the governor of Kwara state, in order to mediate in a misunderstanding between my very close friend, his father, late Dr. Olusola Saraki, his daughter, Senator Gbemi Saraki on one side, and his son, Dr. Bukola Saraki himself.

“The circumstances that led to my writing the letter had been settled long ago. Today, Bukola Saraki is my son with whom I enjoy a good relationship.

“It is, therefore, surprising that the letter written over five years ago was altered in the said social media publication to suit the whims and caprices of the authors.

“Let me reinstate that the late Dr Olusola Saraki, father of the senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki, was my very good friend and colleague, in the senate of the second republic, where he was senate leader.

“Thereafter, both of us were leaders of our respective geopolitical zones. While he was leader of the northern union (NU), I was leader of the south-south peoples assembly (SSPA).

“Today, I have a duty to stand by my son, Dr. Bukola Saraki and also defend him from any act of persecution aimed at destroying his illustrious political career and his father’s rich legacy.”