Senate bashed black and blue over Ndume
Except for the purchase of exotic SUV cars, no issue has exposed the Senate to as much bashing as the suspension of Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South). Our correspondent highlights the calls for Ndume’s return.
From Abuja to other parts of the North and South of Nigeria, the senate has been under a barrage of severe criticisms over the suspension of Senator Ali Ndume. Even the emergence of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the Senate President in June 2015 against the wishes of his party leaders did not generate as much furore as that drawn by the suspension of Ndume.
Basking on Orders 14 and 15 of the Senate Rules, Ndume on March 21 this year, drew the attention of the Senate to media reports that Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) had issues with his degree program at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
He also drew the attention of the Upper Chamber to media reports that suggested that the probe of the Comptroller-General of the Customs was informed by the seizure of a bullet-proof car belonging to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
In line with Order 41(3) of the Senate, the matter was referred to the Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary on that day.
On March 27, the Committee chaired by Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP Imo) summoned Saraki, Ndume, Melaye, the Vice Chancellor of ABU, Professor Ibrahim Garba and the importers of the bullet-proof car. The vice chancellor and importers cleared Melaye and Saraki at their separate appearances before the panel. Ndume, however said he drew the attention of his colleagues to the media reports to protect the integrity of the senate.
Penultimate Wednesday, the committee submitted its report and recommended the suspension of Ndume for 181 legislative days, equivalent to one calendar year. It was however reduced to six calendar months following appeals by some senators.
That was not the beginning of Ndume’s trouble with some of his colleagues. He incurred the wrath of his fellow senators, especially those loyal to Saraki in December when he came out of a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Villa and faulted the rejection of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu.
On January 10, he was removed as the Senate Leader when 39 of his colleagues in the APC signed him out. This made him to be the second lawmaker that would be booted out of the National Assembly in this dispensation, the first being Abdulmumin Jibrin, the member representing Kiru/ Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State.
Like Ndume, Jibrin was removed from the Appropriations Committee at the House before he was sent home, no thanks to his rift with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.
Aside the suspension, Ndume and Jibrin also towed the same path at the inauguration of the National Assembly in June. While Ndume sold the candidature of Saraki to northern senators, Jibrin nominated Dogara for the speaker’s seat. Both defied their party. The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had preferred Senator Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila for the Senate Presidency and Speaker respectively.
However, unlike Jibrin, calls for the recall of Ndume from suspension kept reverberating around the country. But for Jibrin, the reverse is the case. Only on Wednesday, some of Jibrin’s constituents threatened recalling him over his call for the resignation of President Buhari.
Like when the senators purchased cars worth N36.5m for themselves in April 2016, the suspension of Ndume is attracting severe bashings. When the senators purchased the SUV cars, there were protests everywhere, including at the senate itself.
Condemning it, firebrand human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), cited the unreported case of Dino Melaye and others vs the House of Representatives in which a Federal High Court declared that a legislator could not be suspended for more than 14 days. Mr Taidi Jonathan, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Minna, Niger State, cited Section 6 (6) (a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution which vests the powers to impose any sanction or punishment on the Judiciary.
Last weekend, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Abdulkareem Lawan, led an 18-member delegation to Saraki where they appealed to him to void Ndume’s suspension.
The opposition against the suspension of Ndume reached a crescendo on Tuesday when some protesters blocked the main entrance of the National Assembly, demanding nullification of the suspension.
Bearing placards that read; “Borno stands with Ndume”, “Bring back our Ndume”, Nigerians are with Ndume”, “Saraki is a curse to Democracy,” took over the main gate of the National Assembly, calling for Ndume’s return.
One of the protesters, Kyellu Suleiman, said the suspension of Ndume would negatively affect their lives. The mother of five who is an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) said, “Ndume is our helper, he gives us food and takes care of our children. They don’t help us and now they’ve sent our helper away.”
Musa Ali Gwoza said, “We are here for a peaceful demonstration over the suspension of our senator. His suspension is unlawful. We want it lifted. We cannot afford not to have a senator for six months.”
Idris Ibrahim Halilu who said he was the coordinator of IDPs in