Senator Ali Ndume, (APC-Borno South) has said Bukola Saraki has failed the nation and also has no justification to remain as senate president since he has defected to the opposition party.
He said that Saraki should know that he could not “have his cake and eat it’.
Ndume, said at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Sunday, that Saraki lost all rights to retain the seat since he had defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said the only thing that could save Saraki from being impeached and remain as President of the Senate, was a vote of confidence from his colleagues.
“I think that is the only thing he can do may be; he did that before, let him try it; let him call for vote of confidence from us, his colleagues.
“I assure you that he will not get the majority, “Ndume said, adding that he was disappointed in Saraki.
He described the statement credited to some politicians that Saraki could only be impeached by two third of members of the house, as not only wrong, but also a total misconception.
The Senator stressed that since Saraki decided to leave the APC for PDP, he should have left the position as he could not be in a minority party and be President of the Senate.
Ndume recalled that as minority leader in the House of Representatives when he defected to PDP from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), he resigned from the position without being asked to do so.
He said it was natural that he left the position because he could not move from the minority to the majority and still be a minority leader.
He said Saraki could therefore, not move from majority to minority and still be the President of the Senate.
Ndume noted that there should only be one Senate President who is supposed to come from the majority political party, adding that it was an aberration and abnormal for someone in the minority to lead the majority.
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“I am still thinking and hoping that Saraki will do the right thing and the right thing is for him to relinquish that position for the majority to preside,“ he said.
Ndume said the Senate under the leadership of Saraki had failed Nigerians.
Ndume adding that Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representatives, had privatised the legislative arm of government.
“I really want to admit that we have failed in our responsibility to the people somehow, but we the members are not responsible for that.
“It is more of the responsibility of the leadership that shut down the Senate abruptly because of personal issues.
“It is very unfortunate. The Senate is the Nigerian Senate, it is not the senator’s Senate; it is not Saraki’s senate,” he said.
Ndume added that it was very unfortunate that the Nigerian National Assembly had been reduced to Saraki and Dogara.
He further added that Saraki and Dogara had privatised and personalised the Nigerian legislative arm of government which should not be the case.
“They have privatised and personalised the institution, and the reason we were elected to be there, had been relegated to the background.
“This is very unfortunate, but I want Nigerians to know that the Senate had not been shut down by the Senators or members of House of Representatives.
“The Senate was shut down by Saraki and Dogara and they should be held responsible for that,”Ndume added.
