Why Saraki May Lose His Seat As Senate President – Senator Ali Ndume

The Senator representing Borno state, Ali Ndume has faulted the order by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki that the House of Senate be closed till September 25, 2018.

Las week Tuesday, the Nigerian Senate presided over by the President of the Senate agreed to observe its long vacation break of eight weeks effective immediately.

This coincides with the massive defection of fifteen senators from the ruling All Progressive’s Congress and the laying of siege by security operatives at the residences of both the Senate President and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu that same day.

Speaking on ‘Politics Today’, A program hosted on Channels TV on Wednesday night, the APC senator Ndume accused Saraki of shutting down the upper lawmaking chamber for his own personal interest.

“The closure at the national assembly that day was unbelievable. I was shocked by the way he (Saraki) acted,” he mentioned.

“The senate is not Saraki, Saraki is just a member of the senate and the presiding officer that anybody can be. So, for him to have just shut down the national assembly because of personal issues is very unfortunate and uncalled for especially when you have very important matters before the senate”, he added.

Arguing that the closure came at the wrong time, the  Senator stressed that there are ceresine issues that needed the attention of the Nigerian Senate as at that time.

One of such mentioned is the approval of the budget for the Independent National Electoral Commission to fund 2019 elections.

“We have five different critical items. We have the budget of the FCT before the senate which has not been approved.

“We have the virement and supplementary budget for INEC which is necessary in order to conduct the 2019 elections and then we have the appointment and the confirmation of ICPC members, that of FERMA is lying there, that of judicial commission is there and in fact, the budget of 64 government agencies is before the senate. Approval for the funding, external borrowing to fund the 2018”, Senator established.

After the adjournment of plenary, the Senate President announced his defection from the ruling party of APC to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

The decision may affect his seat as the number 3 citizen as this is already brewing controversies on his stakes to remain the Senate President.