Ndume: Senate presidency shouldn’t be zoned | Leadership positions in 10th n’assembly are being bought

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south district, has claimed that the leadership positions in the 10th national assembly are being “bought”.

Speaking on Sunday in an interview with Channels Television, Ndume said the Nigerian democratic system is being taken over by those who have the financial resources to buy leadership positions.

Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th national assembly in June, there has been intense politicking by some lawmakers-elect for leadership positions.

Commenting on the situation, Ndume said the leadership positions of the senate should be open for contest, adding that it’s not fair for the senate president to come from a particular zone.

“For me, the leadership of the national assembly should be open in the first instance. The senate president is not supposed to be a regional president, it is a senate president of the Nigerian senate,” he said.

“We have 109 senators. The leadership emergence is not clearly stated. Section 50 of the constitution states that the senate president shall be elected among the members.”

Ndume alleged that leadership positions in the country belong to the “kleptocrats and plutocrats” while calling for the investigation and prosecution of politicians with unexplained wealth.

“In lawmaking, there is no library for you to refer to. There is no handover note. That means we are starting from scratch,” he added.

“There is a need for experience. I have been there for the past 20 years. Some people said I have been there for the past 20 years, that is why you need to run (referring to the senate presidency contest).

“It is like Nigerian politics has turned into what is called turn-by-turn. It is a bad precedent. I see people coming to the national assembly with nothing and suddenly because they spent years in the national assembly they become rich. Something is wrong. You see civil servants living in the house worth billions. Nobody asks questions.

“There should be unexplained wealth act so that if you display wealth that is not in tandem with your income, you should be investigated and confiscated and if it is extensive, you should be prosecuted. People should ask questions.

“Now, you can see what is happening, they are trying to buy the position. The position in the leadership of this country is becoming those that belong to kleptocrats and plutocrats. Democracy is no longer there.

“They are buying it already.”