Ndume: No social discontent in Senate, says Saraki

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday in Abuja dismissed insinuation that there was social discontent in the Senate over removal of Senator Ali Ndume as Senate Leader.
Saraki on Tuesday announced that the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the Senate in a letter to the Senate leadership had replaced Ndume (APC-Borno) with Senator Ahmed Lawan (APC-Yobe).
The Senate President, who spoke to State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, said: “The institution is bigger than every senator.
“There is no crisis in the National Assembly, things like this do happen and as you said the institution is bigger than everybody and I am sure that he and everybody else will always work for the interest of the institution and for the interest of the country.
“Everything is calm, solid and fine.’’
Saraki also dismissed the assertion in some quarters that Ndume was sacrificed, saying “do I look like someone that does things like that?”
Meanwhile, Ndume has accepted his removal from the position, which he assumed on June 9, 2015.
Ndume accepted his fate in a point of order raised at plenary on Wednesday, a day after he was dramatically replaced by Sen. Ahmed Lawan (APC-Yobe).
Ndume, who quoted Order 43, said that the senate was an institution that must be protected by law makers.
He thanked his colleagues for the confidence reposed in him, while he served them as majority leader.
According to him, the senate is an institution that must be protected through obedience to senate rules and the traditions.
Ndume said that as a senator, he was not better than any of his colleagues, adding that they are all equal in the senate.
He noted that he was not found wanting during his tenure as the senate leader of which he was grateful to God.
“As far as I know, I have not done anything, and then just like that, the senate caucus has the right to say they have lost confidence in me.
“To the best of my knowledge, I did not do anything. But as I said, since my colleagues, consciously, 40 of them signed. In fact, if the number of those that lost confidence in me is not up to this number, and I’m made to know, I will resign because I did not become a senate leader whose law makers have no confidence in.”
“But as I said, since you have lost confidence in me, even if it is ten of you, then I have no moral ground to continue to lead this senate, because that means there are some people that are not with me.”
Ndume, however, urged the APC caucus to give room to members who had erred for fair hearing.
“Distinguished colleagues, henceforth if any of our colleagues errs in one way or the order, he should be given the chance to say, look this is what you did. Therefore, we have lost confidence in you.
“I thank God that since there is nothing, I’m grateful for that.
“ So, I thank you for the opportunity given to me to have served as the senate leader and I wish Senator Ahmed Lawan the best of service to this institution”.
In his remark, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, noted that the services Ndume had rendered to the National Assembly could not be wished away.
He urged him to continue to offer his services to the senate and people of his constituency.
“We are conscious of your efforts in the North-east in the role you played in ensuring that the humanitarian crisis was been addressed.”
“I congratulate you for the manner in which you accepted the true position of things and we assure that we will all continue to work harmoniously for the good of our country.”