The Senate as a body, most especially, loyalists of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki shocked one of its own on resumption from the end of the year break when in what could be described as a palace coup, Senator Ali Ndume from Borno State, a known loyalist of the Senate President, was summarily dismissed from office as the Leader of the Senate.
The drama that played out at the Senate sitting on January 10 was un-conceivable until it actually played out, to the shock of many political watchers who were oblivious to the internal politicking in the Senate chamber.
It was on record that Senator Ali Ndume planned and hoped to become the Senate President of the 8th Senate in the race to the inauguration of the parliament in 2015, but had to step down when he was prevailed upon by some of his colleagues who had a different opinion on his ambition.
In a show of commitment to the cause being pursued by his colleagues who didn't hide their disdain for the "master to servants" instructions from the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on who should be made the Senate President, he joined the rebellious group called "Like Minds" and played a prominent role in their scheming.
The success of the "rebellion" against the party orders became a pointer to the facts, which emerged later, that the APC was in for a big power tussle at the topmost echelon after pushing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) out of the presidency which it had occupied for 16 unbroken years.
With Senator Bukola Saraki emerging as the Senate President, Senator Ndume a very vocal person by nature, was compensated with the position of the Senate Leader for his role in the war against the APC party leaders who were still nursing their wounds in the failed battle to install Senator Ahmed Lawan as the Senate President.
For close to two years, Ndume weathered the storm along with his colleagues, as the Unity Forum (which championed Senator Lawan as Senate President) members kicked, while the party leadership made efforts at getting Senator Saraki removed from office, a move that has remained futile till now.
Almost two years into the saddle, it was thought that all was well within the Saraki kitchen cabinet until the “coup" was executed which saw Ali Ndume removed suddenly from office as the Leader of the Senate with Senator Ahmed Lawan, the man who lost the Senate President contest to Saraki, announced in his place.
Lawan it would be recalled, following his Senate president contest debacle, was picked by the party leadership for the Senate Leader seat as compensation but had been turned down by the group of Saraki loyalists who backed Saraki in appointing Ndume as the Senate Leader.
The methodology adopted in getting Ndume removed from office smack of a payback for allegedly falling out with the Senate president.
NDUME'S SINS.
Those who know said Ndume and Saraki apparently fell apart after the Senate declined to confirm the appointment of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ndume did not hide his support for Magu who is from his home state of Borno, a development that almost led to a fistcuff between him and Senator Dino Melaye, a known diehard loyalist of Saraki.
He was perceived to have gone too far on the issue when he openly spoke at the Presidential Villa in December where he openly countered the rejection of Magu by the Senate.
He said what the Senate had done was to step down Magu’s screening until issues surrounding the security report concerning him were cleared.
Ndume stated, “Let me say categorically that the Senate did not reject Ibrahim Magu as the chairman (of the EFCC).
“What happened was that we slated his confirmation for Thursday. Then, we had an issue of a letter from the Department of State Services that could not allow us to continue with the confirmation without further clarifications.
“So, we then concluded that since we have a letter that we cannot ignore, we cannot do the confirmation. So, it was not that we sat down to take a decision that we have rejected Ibrahim Magu. I want that to come out clearly.
When reminded that the Senate spokesperson said the Senate rejected Magu and would return the nomination to the President, Ndume said the position was not correct.
“I was part of the persons that wrote the short press statement which stated that the Senate cannot continue with the confirmation. It is different from saying that the Senate has rejected him. In fact, we have referred the other four nominees to the committee,” Ndume said.
The Senate Leader also said the Senate’s investigation into some allegations against the SGF, Lawal, had not been concluded.
The Senate had, a week earlier passed a resolution that President Muhammadu Buhari should sack and prosecute the SGF for awarding contracts to a company in which he had substantial interest in certain projects for the Internally Displaced Persons in the North-East.
But Ndume said Lawal’s investigation by the Senate was still in progress.
He said, “It’s not an order we are giving; the Senate resolution is a recommendation, it is not a law.
The Senate spokesman, Abdullahi Sabi speaking on behalf of the senate 24 hours after Ndume gaffe, said the position of Ndume on the issue was his personal opinion and not that of the senate.
He insisted that Ndume lacked the jurisdiction to speak for the Senate or unilaterally reverse the decision of the Senate on any issue, as he confirmed in a voice of finality that Magu remains rejected by the Upper Legislative chamber.
“Our votes and proceedings are the official records of what transpired in the chamber. You remember on that crucial date we had the closed session where we looked at the issues.
“Now, I had to come here and brief you, with the effect that ‘the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is announcing to the general public that in view of the security report available to us, we are unable to proceed and confirm the nominee to the office of the executive chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu,’ and I said accordingly ‘the Senate hereby rejects the said nomination and returns the nomination to Mr. President for further action.’
“For the record, I am the official spokesman of the Senate. I am not speaking for myself, I am speaking for the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the capacity I was so designated.
"For me that is the official position of the Senate and it remains the only official position of the Senate and I am saying so with all emphasis. What I said on behalf of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria remains the only official statement of the Senate" Sabi said.
NDUME PUSHED OUT.
Facts eventually emerged after the exit of Ndume that the decision to relieve him of his office was hatched while the Senate was still on holiday.
It was made know that some members of the kitchen cabinet of Saraki saw opportunity in the supposed gaffe of the Senate Leader and moved to capitalise on it.
The candidature of Senator Lawan was said to have been agreed upon to serve the purpose of bringing truce between the Saraki group which has been mending fences with the Presidential Villa and the party leadership, while at the same time, punish an erring supposed loyalist.
January 10, announcement was made by the Senate President that the APC members had lost confidence in Ndume as their caucus leader, and pronto, he was removed.
40 members of the caucus were said to have signed the notice calling for his removal.
But not a few persons were of the opinion that Ndume was punished for his "sins" against the Senate President.
NDUME’S REACTION.
It took the shocked former Senate leader some hours to understand what hit him as he was short of words in explaining his sudden exit immediately it happened.
He however confirmed some hours later that he knew his "sin" was the solid support he gave to Magu.
While many perceived that he might be oblivious of his sudden exit, the Borno born lawmaker said he had a hint during the holiday that the Senate president had commissioned his exit to Senator Dino Melaye.
He, however, insisted that the methodology adopted in effecting his removal was unjust as it did not follow proper procedure.
Explaining what he said that got him into trouble, he said “What I said was that for us (Senate) to claim to have rejected a nominee sent to us by the president, we have to follow the right procedure, and observe our rules,” the senator said.
“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.
“Ï was surprised that such a simple and harmless clarification could rattle and anger some of my colleagues. I thought it wasn’t a big deal to disagree over issues. I didn’t realise that that simple matter would snowball into a plot to remove me.
“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" he said.
As much as Ndume might not agree with the method adopted in removing him from office, but a day after, he spoke on the floor of the Senate accepting his removal saying he wasn't born to be senate leader.
He pointedly stated that he didn't feel good about his removal simply because he wasn't carried along in the scheme but not because he was relieved of his position.
He said emphatically that he had thrice offered to step down from the position so that Saraki could give the position to Lawan as a settlement with the party leadership which was rebuffed.
As much as one could not stand surety for politicians and their ways, signs of fence mending appeared on Thursday January 26th when Senate President in bringing the plenary to a close, announced a minor re-jig of Senate committee and pronounced Senator Ndume the new chairman of Senate committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Just like Senator Ndume was sacrificed to please the party leaders who were strangulating the Senate president, Senator Abubakar Kyari in the spirit of peace, was made the sacrificial lamb in appeasing Ndume.
End.
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