Senate has failed Nigerians, says Ndume

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, says the upper legislative chamber has failed in its responsibility to Nigerians.

Speaking during a NAN forum on Sunday in Abuja, Ndume blamed this on the leadership of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

He also said Saraki could not be in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and still be the head of the senate.

Ndume said as minority leader in the house of representatives, when he defected to PDP from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), he resigned from the position willingly.

Saraki dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the opposition party in July but retained his position as senate president despite calls for him to relinquish the seat.

He asked the number three citizen to call for a vote of confidence from his colleagues to defend his position.

“I think that is the only thing he can do may be; he did that before, let him try it; let him call for vote of confidence from us, his colleagues,” Ndume said.

“I assure you that he will not get the majority. I am still thinking and hoping that Saraki will do the right thing and the right thing is for him to relinquish that position for the majority to preside.

“I really want to admit that we have failed in our responsibility to the people somehow, but we the members are not responsible for that.

“It is more of the responsibility of the leadership that shut down the Senate abruptly because of personal issues.

“It is very unfortunate. The senate is the Nigerian senate, it is not the senator’s Senate; it is not Saraki’s senate.”

Ndume also accused Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, of “privatising” the national assembly.

“It is more of the responsibility of the leadership that shut down the Senate abruptly because of personal issues,” he said.

“It is very unfortunate. The Senate is the Nigerian Senate, it is not the senator’s Senate; it is not Saraki’s senate.

“They have privatised and personalised the institution, and the reason we were elected to be there, had been relegated to the background.”

In March 2017, Ndume was suspended for “embarrassing” Saraki and Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west.