Ndume Resumes Today Despite Appeal

The Senate has said its suspended former Majority Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, can resume plenary despite its decision to appeal the judgement of the Federal High Court which declared his suspension illegal.

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, made the announcement at plenary yesterday after a closed-door session on the matter.

He said the resumption is without prejudice to the Senate’s court process.

Ndume, representing Borno South senatorial district, was suspended by the Senate in March 2017 for six months after the Senate Committee on Ethics indicted him for dragging the institution of the Senate into disrepute.

He however challenged his suspension in court.

Last Friday, Justice Babatunde Quadri of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, declared the suspension illegal, unconstitutional and consequently, set the said suspension aside. The judge also ordered that Ndume’s outstanding salaries and allowances be paid to him immediately.

The Senate however filed an appeal last Monday challenging the judgement.