Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Ali Ndume yesterday explained why he walked out of the Red Chamber after clashing with Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary.
In an interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Ndume said;
“When Senator Kawu Sumaila proposed a motion which he said was urgent on closing the border between Nigeria and Niger, it was first 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.”
The Borno South senator explained that it was at that point he wanted to explain the importance of the motion to the Red Chamber, but was denied the opportunity.
“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,” he said.
Ndume added that he told another senator that he was going to pray and then he left.
Also, erstwhile Adamawa North Senator Elisha Abbo, who was sacked by the Appeal Court on Monday, has apologised to Senate President Godswill Akpabio over his earlier claim that the Senate President was complicit in the judgment that sacked him form the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
Speaking on Arise News Television on Tuesday night, Abbo said neither himself nor any other senator planned to impeach Akpabio.
The controversial senator also denied his earlier claim that the Senate President had plans to kick out Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and three other senators.
“I have to say this with all sense of humility and responsibility that the press release that we rendered yesterday (Monday) was premature as the available information at our disposal then portended.
“We discovered a lot of things yesterday, last night. I also had a discussion with my leader, my elder brother, colleague, and the President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Akpabio, and I am convinced that he was not involved in my exit from the Senate,” he said.
Abbo added that he also got a more credible and authenticated intelligence on Tuesday morning to the effect that Akpabio was not involved in kicking him out of the Senate through the Court of Appeal.
The erstwhile senator acknowledged that based on additional intelligence he received, Akpabio’s innocence was confirmed.
On reports of attempts in the past to impeach the Senate President, Abbo, who was reportedly linked to the alleged plot, said;
“I want to say that there was no plan to impeach the Senate President at any time. He himself was a product of the popular votes of confidence by us (he and his colleagues). I support and respect Senator Godswill Akpabio to deliver on the core mandate of the Nigerian people. I am praying for God to give him wisdom, because the Senate is a chamber of equals. I am praying for wisdom for him to know how to manage his colleagues because I don’t want him to fail.”
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Senate President, Eseme Eyiboh, who was also on the same TV programme, praised Abbo for his apology.
Eyiboh said;
“What he has done today is a very rare act of strength of character, by coming out publicly to apologise to his father and his leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, by the umbrage.
“So, I want to thank him for that demonstration of goodwill. He will go places. Senator Akpabio, for who he is, will not withhold any blessing and affection from him.”
