"I said we did not follow proper procedure", Ndume opens up on exit as Senate leader

Former Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South has revealed why he was ousted.

The Senate president, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday announced Ndume’s removal shortly before the upper chamber adjourned on Tuesday, January 10.

In an interview with Premium Times, on Tuesday, January 10, Ndume said he was removed for insisting that the Senate did not follow the proper procedure before declaring that it had rejected the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).

Ndume said he insisted that in view of the Senate’s standard procedures and practice, Magu had not been rejected by the Senate because there was no confirmation hearing for the nominee to defend claims made against him.

He said: “What I said was that for us (Senate) to claim to have a rejected a nominee sent to us by the president, we have to follow the right procedure, and observe our rules.”

“The nominee should have been called into the chamber and presented before senators who will then openly vote on whether to accept or reject his or her nomination.

“In the case of Magu, that was not done. We only had a closed-door session and when we emerged the Senate spokesperson claimed that he had been rejected. I had to set the record straight by saying we never rejected the nominee. This is because you don’t accept or reject a nominee at a closed session. Our votes and proceedings are there as evidence of my claims.”

Ndume said the clarification he made unsettled some of his colleagues, who immediately began to plot against him.

“The other day, somebody mentioned to me that the Senate President had commissioned Dino Melaye to collect signatures to remove me. I didn’t pay much attention to the information because I actually thought it was a joke or a rumour.

“I didn’t feel that disagreeing with colleagues, and sharing my understanding of what transpired at our closed session was an offence, grievous enough to cause my removal,”the Senator said.

A senator familiar with the matter said Ndume especially angered Saraki when he asked why he guided members to act on the report advising against Magu’s confirmation, while ignoring the one which urged that he should be cleared for the office.

Ndume reportedly argued that what the Senate should have done was to call attention to the two security reports, and then ask the president whether to continue with the confirmation process or not.

Saraki on resumption read a letter from the All Progressives Congress caucus asking for leadership change.

Ndume had stepped out of the chamber to observe his early afternoon prayer when Saraki read the letter.

The Senate president said the APC caucus, also chose Ahmed Lawan to replace Ndume.

Ndume was a member of the Federal House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011 representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of ANPP.