Ndume sacked as Senate Leader because of support for Magu; APC congratulates Lawan

The All Progressives Congress (APC), on Tuesday, congratulated the new Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, saying his emergence “is a welcome development”.
Lawan became the Senate Leader following the sack of Senator Ali Ndume.
Freedom Online learned that Ndume was sacked because of his closeness to the embattled Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
Ndume’s fate was sealed during a meeting on Monday night by some APC senators in Abuja.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, says: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomes the development in the Senate, which led to the replacement of the former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume with Senator Ahmed Lawan, both members of our great Party.
“The Party view this as concrete expression of faith by the APC Senate Caucus in our efforts to resolve the lingering issues that have trailed the election of Senate leadership. We believe this is a major step forward in our efforts to reunite the various interest groups in that Senate election, thereby presenting a common legislative front for our great party.
“We are particularly delighted that the consultations that were initiated towards the end of 2015 between the Party caucuses in the National Assembly and the party executives as well as other leading stakeholders of our party has yielded these results and the Senate has demonstrated its willingness to finally submit to the will of the Party in this regard.
“Recall that soon after the issue of election in the Senate occurred, the Party leadership had resolved that Senator Lawan be compensated with the position of the Senate Leader. Sadly, that directive was not fully complied with at the time. But we are happy to see this change effected, which represents a significant progress in our efforts to build a strong and united Party. With this development therefore, we are confident that the issues arising from the elections in the Senate in 2015 have been put to rest.
“We thank Senator Ndume for his service and sacrifice to our party, which would not be forgotten. We also congratulate Senator Lawan, the new Senate Leader on his election by the APC caucus in the Senate. We hope he will use his vast experience and knowledge to enhance legislative works to further our party’s agenda of change.
“The APC assures Nigerians that we will continue to work assiduously under the leadership and guidance of President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve any other pending issues that may have affected our Party at different levels. However, with this latest development, APC has demonstrated its resilience and capacity to resolve its internal differences in order to realise the true change and transformation that we promised Nigerians”.
When contacted, Ndume said he didn’t know why he was removed as Senate Leader.
He said in Abuja: “As far as I am concerned, I don’t know what happened. I am not aware of the removal because I was not consulted by the leadership”.
The APC caucus, on Tuesday, wrote the Senate, demanding the replacement of Ndume with Lawan.
Senator Dino Melaye is believed to have played a big role in Ndume’s removal.
Some of senators who belong to the caucus of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, believe Ndume has been undermining Saraki in the Presidency.‎
The Senate had last year rejected the appointment of Magu as the substantive chairman of the EFCC over “negative security report” submitted on him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Reading the letter on the floor immediately after the motion for adjournment was moved, Saraki said the emergence of Lawan as the Leader of the Senate was as result of a separate meeting held on Monday.
The letter, entitled: “Notice of change in leadership,” reads: “We want to inform Your Excellency and that after a separate meeting held on Monday, January 9, we want to notify you of a change in the leadership. Senator Ahmad Lawan is the new Senate Leader.”