Senator Ali Ndume, Chief Whip of the Senate, has shed light on why he left the Senate chamber after a disagreement with Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s session.
Ndume had raised concerns during the plenary session, pointing out what he believed were rule violations. He invoked a point of order to highlight “procedural infringements” that he thought went against established parliamentary rules.
However, Senate President Akpabio refused to let Ndume finish his speech, prompting the Senator to exit the chamber.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Ndume clarified the situation surrounding his departure during the debate on the closure of Nigeria’s borders.
He explained that the issue arose when Senator Kawu Sumaila proposed an urgent motion to close the border between Nigeria and Niger. Initially, there was debate over the urgency of the motion, but the Senate President allowed Sumaila to speak.
After hearing the motion, it was decided that, given its security implications, it should be postponed. It was at this point that Ndume intended to explain the motion’s importance to the chamber, but he was denied the opportunity to speak by the Senate President.
He also added that the timing of his departure coincided with the prayer session, which led to some misunderstanding among his colleagues, and misinterpretations by journalists. Ndume clarified that he had informed his deputy of his intention to pray before leaving the chamber.
In his words:
“When Senator Kawu Sumaila proposed a motion which he said was urgent on closing the border between Nigeria and Niger.
“At first, it was argued that the motion was not urgent, but the president of the Senate let him finish what he wanted to say.
“After hearing the motion, it was agreed that since it is related to security, it should be suspended.”
According to him, it was at that point he wanted to explain the importance of the motion to the chamber, but the Senate President denied him the opportunity to speak.
“I would like to clarify that the motion, although impactful, falls outside the jurisdiction of the Nigerian Senate.
“The closure of the border was not initiated by the President of Nigeria, but rather during his tenure as President of ECOWAS. As such, he has the authority to advocate on our behalf.
“In order to address this matter, it is imperative to involve the President of our nation, but I was not afforded the opportunity to convey this message.
While this was happening, it coincided with the time of prayer, prompting my departure. Consequently, my colleagues misconstrued my exit, and the journalists changed the meaning of my exit,” Ndume said.