Oyegun, Saraki, Dogara absent, as Buhari lauds Tinubu at 66

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the ruling All Progressives Congress Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, as well as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara were absent at the 10th Bola Tinubu Colloquium held Thursday in Lagos.

The event put in place to mark the 66th birthday of the APC national leader was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, while others at the event were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, business magnates, Aliko Dangote and Jim Ovia, governors, senators, members of the house of representatives, chieftains of the APC, among other notable Nigerians.

The Colloquium with the theme “Investing in people”, had participants discuss the potentials of the welfare programmes and human capital investments of the Nigerian government.

It was not immediately clear why Oyegun, Saraki and Dogara were absent at the event.

Oyegun is engulfed in a crisis following the rejection of the elongation of tenure granted to the executives of the party by President Muhammadu Buhari earlier in the week.

Tinubu had openly disagreed with the tenure elongation and had immediately lauded the president’s rejection of the arrangement.

Speaking on Thursday, Tinubu urged Nigerians to reject the apology of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and support the APC.

Osinbajo however used his own speech to lampoon the former government of Goodluck Jonathan while the president in his speech eulogised Tinubu’s attributes.