Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has recounted what he described as one of the most difficult episodes of the 8th Senate, alleging that lawmakers faced consequences for rejecting the confirmation of an acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Saraki made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, 11 June, 2026, while discussing the role of the legislature in providing oversight and acting as a check on executive power.
According to the former Senate President, the Senate carefully reviewed Ibrahim Magu’s qualifications and examined security reports before arriving at its decision. He maintained that the chamber acted within its constitutional responsibilities and based its judgment on the information available to it at the time.
“I gave a painful experience in our own 8th Senate where we had the acting chairman of EFCC come before us and having reviewed his qualifications, security report written, we said no. But he stayed in the office,” Saraki stated.
He further alleged that the executive branch disregarded the Senate’s decision and retained the acting chairman in office despite the lawmakers’ rejection.
“The executive totally disregarded our rejection and some of us had a personal cost to that where we were hunted just because of that,” he added.
Saraki argued that the episode raised concerns about respect for institutional processes and the principle of separation of powers. He stressed that the legislature’s responsibility is to independently assess nominations, spending requests, and policy proposals without fear of retaliation.