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Tag: Ali Ndume

  • Cracks in PDP over probe of Senators, Reps

    PLAN by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to probe its members for voting the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the recent election of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President as well as the House of Representatives Speaker and Deputy Speaker is now causing ripples in the opposition party.

    Although the PDP directed its members to back Alhaji  Ali Ndume for Senate President and Umar Bago for House of Reps Speaker, the result of the elections showed that many of the lawmakers ignored  their party’s directive.

    Spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologondiyan, told reporters at the end of the  86th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party that a committee would soon be set up to unravel the roles played by PDP legislators in the election of the leadership of the National Assembly.

    Ologbondiyan’s announcement is now causing disquiet within the party with members taking different positions.

    Earlier during the meeting, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, had condemned what he called the disloyal attitude of PDP senators and Reps members who defied the directives of the opposition party and voted for Senator Ahmed Lawan and Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila.

    Shortly after Lawan and Gbajabiamila emerged winners the PDP had first said it would not sanction its senators and members of the House of Representatives for not heeding the directive of the party on the candidates to vote for during the election.

    The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, said, “There is nothing new in what happened and it is not unexpected… There is no reason to sanction anyone and come to think of it, it was an open secret balloting which does not leave room for identifying who voted for or against the party’s directive.”

    Hours to the NASS leadership elections, the PDP had adopted Senator Ali Ndume and Hon. Umar Bago as its choices for Senate President and Speaker respectively. It thereafter directed its members in the upper and lower chambers to vote accordingly. However, many Senators and Reps elected on the platform of the party defied the directives and voted for other candidates.

    In the contest, Senator Lawan garnered 79 votes to beat PDP backed Ndume, who scored 28 votes. Also, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of the APC defeated Senator Ike Ekweramadu of the PDP in the election of the Deputy Senate President, scoring 68 votes to his opponent’s 37 votes. Gbajabiamila floored PDP’s choice, Bago. The results confirmed that many PDP lawmakers gave their votes to the APC backed candidates contrary to PDP’s directives.

    “This is easy to establish because both Ndume and Ekweremadu did not secure the entire 44 votes of the PDP senators. Bago’s total vote scored also fell extremely short of the numbers of members we have in the House of Representatives,” a party source told our correspondent while justifying the decision of the party to investigate the voting pattern of its members, and possibly punish erring members at the end of the investigations.

    He expressed displeasure at what it called the embarrassed by the roles played by some PDP members in the National Assembly during the election. “Their personal interest clashed with party interest, and they failed to do what is expected of them by allowing personal interests to drown that of the party. The party is indeed embarrassed and our leaders have decided to ensure that henceforth, party discipline is taken seriously,” he added.

    Sources told The Nation that many chieftains of the party are opposed to moves  to probe the matter.

    According to very reliable party sources, Secondus’ decision to announce a committee that will probe the voting pattern of the lawmakers is at best a “personal opinion backed by a few aggrieved party leaders who suffered personal losses due to the outcome of the elections.”

    Read Also: Bayelsa poll: PDP holds primary September 3

    A party leader from the southeastern part of the country confided in our correspondent that some PDP governors have expressed their dissatisfaction with the announcement ,and urged the party leadership to put the development behind it and concentrate on providing quality opposition to the ruling APC.

    It was also learnt that many PDP Senators and Reps members have vowed not to appear before the committee if ever constituted.

    “Take for example, the governor of my state who openly endorsed Gbajabiamila when the later visited him; will he allow federal lawmakers from his state to be ridiculed by the committee? A ranking Senator from a South-South state went round with Senator Lawan during the campaign for Senate Presidency, what will the party do about that? The senator has even vowed not to appear before the committee.

    “Aside governors and Senators, many party chieftains were taken by surprise to hear the announcement by Secondus.

    “He didn’t consult widely before saying what he said. Don’t also forget that when he was asked a few days after the election of Lawan and Gbajabiamila if the PDP would punish its members who voted for the duo, he said the party would  not do anything of such. That is exactly his personal opinion.

    “We have it on good authority that the new decision to probe and punish is the idea of one of our governors in the South-south who felt personally insulted by the outcome of the elections. This governor, had also without consulting others, influenced the last minute directive given by Secondus to our legislators to vote Ndume and Bago. They think they own PDP. More shocks await them.”

    The Nation gathered that some PDP governors, senators and other chieftains have formally protested to the National Chairman, expressing their objection to the decision to probe the outcome of the NASS leadership election. It was gathered that many of them warned the national leadership of the party to avoid any action capable of throwing  the party into a fresh crisis while urging it to rescind its decision to investigate ‘a dead issue that is of no significance to the growth of the party.’

  • I’m looking for votes, not endorsements, says Ndume

    Lawan’s only opponent, Ali Ndume, seemed unperturbed on Saturday by the endorsements for the APC official candidate.

    He said he was confident of winning on Tuesday.

    His words: “Well, I’ve said before that I am not looking for endorsement but looking for votes on election day.

    “You know clearly that there is the difference between endorsement and election. You would recall too that in 2015 that story of endorsement was canvassed. He had the endorsement but what happened on the floor of the Senate was different.

    Read Also: Ndume felicitates with Muslims

    “This kind of thing has been there all along, we have seen endorsements against several elections. We are there already and shall become past in question of hours from now.”

     

  • Nobody can impose Senate President, says Ndume

    One of the front line contenders for the office of the Senate Presidency, Senator Ali Ndume, on Wednesday declared that there is no provision for the imposition of Senate President.

    The Borno South senator noted the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are clear on how the Senate leadership should emerge.

    Ndume told reporters in Abuja that his right to aspire for any position in the country is guaranteed by the Constitution.

    He insisted that it is wrong for leaders as Senators to be given a leader from outside.

    The former Senate leader said that he felt he is qualified for the job and should therefore be given the chance.

    According to him, the zoning of the Senate President was made to North East deliberately because of the precarious situation that “we find ourselves.”

    Ndume said: “My mission for the Ninth Senate is not personal. It is part of what we need to do in the polity of this country.

    “First of all, it is wrong for leaders to be given a leader from amongst themselves.

    “They are supposed to decide who among themselves is supposed to be their leader. And that also is taken care of by the Constitution of the Federal Republic, Section 50 (1).

    “It is very clear as to how the Senate leadership should emerge. But let me quickly add that is not to say that I think I am more qualified to be the Senate President.

    “I am not better than them in any way. Most of them were born with silver spoon. I came from a very poor background. My father was not educated. I am the son of nobody that became some body.

    “I am a human being that has rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which I won’t compromise.

    Read Also: We won’t cut pension budget, says Ndume

    “Even before I threw my hat into the ring for the Senate Presidency seat, my people called on me to throw my hat for the position. And I did for many reasons.

    “One, I feel I am qualified. Two, I feel I should be given the chance. Three, the zoning was made to North East deliberately because of the precarious situation that we find ourselves.

    “The insurgency has inflicted N9.2 trillion destruction on the North East. And you need somebody who knows where it pinches.

    “We in Borno are in the epicenter of the Book Haram destruction. So it is not like what you will get from the Office of the Senate President but what you can do with it.

    “If you are the Senate President in this country, you will be able to globetrot around, tell people how the problem is because you are in the heart of the problem. You know how it is and how it feels.

    “So, if this opportunity is given to us, we have three critical issues in Borno particularly and the North East in general.”

    He went on: “One is the issue of recharging of Lake Chad, which should be taken globally by somebody that knows it, somebody that can explain better to the people.

    “Two, the issue of insurgency as I said, had inflicted N9.2 trillion damage on us. If we are to go by monthly federal allocation and the budget of the state, it will take us ages.

    “Right now, you can rightly say that Borno is a failed state. And the only way to bring it back is to have a way. And part of it is because I know and my passion for it because it affects me directly.

    “Right now as I am speaking to you, I cannot comfortably drive to my local government. It has no light now because it is not connected.

    “It has no telephone because the insurgents have destroyed the equipment. The ecosystem is destroyed, our schools are closed.

    “Secondly, I have been in this place for quite a while. The Senate was intended to be a stabilising institution in the polity. When we came in, the senators were not doing much.

    “I was in the House of Representatives then, we provided the advice and they took less of things like motions and all that.

    “And they were doing the senatorial job. Gradually, this is drifting. And we have gotten to a point now where from outside, a Senate President will be imposed on senators.

    “I am glad that the party after doing that announcement realised that it was wrong and unconstitutional. Even the party supremacy that they are talking about, in Article two of the APC Constitution, it says that subject to the provision of the constitution, the APC will provide services to the government. And Section 50 of the Constitution is very clear about emergence of the leadership.

    “Besides, in all the emergence of candidates of APC, there is no provision for imposition. The President emerges through a democratic process. And the election was open. It was zoned in line with the Constitution.

    “Even then, Rochas Okorocha contested and he was not disciplined. Buhari contested with Atiku, Kwankwanso and the others, nobody was disciplined.”

  • My agenda to ensure effective Ninth Senate, by Ali Ndume

    A Senate presidential aspirant, Ali Ndume, yesterday unfolded a nine-point agenda in Lagos.

    He urged the 109 senators-elect to vote for him in national interest.

    Acknowledging that the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership had endorsed another contestant, Dr. Ahmed Lawan, for the position, the senator stressed that power resides with the Almighty God.

    Udume, a former Senate Leader from Borno South, exuded confidence that he joined the race to win.

    He said: “The party is supreme only when the supremacy conforms with legality. The constitution is supreme over the party. The party is recommending someone, but it is not depriving me of my right to contest. If the party decides the right thing, we will follow. Anything that is contrary to the constitution is null and void.”

    Ndume told reporters that he had consulted widely with APC stakeholders, including National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The senator said the Commander-in-Chief did not oppose his aspiration.

    But he noted that the governor of his home state, Borno, Alhaji Shettima Kashim, is backing Lawan because the party recommended him.

    If elected, Ndume promised to restore the dignity of the Senate, restructure the Office of Senate President in a bid to reduce its privileges, foster transparency and accountability, unite the National Assembly and promote good legislation to support President Buhari’s Next Level agenda.

    The former polytechnic teacher also promised to deepen oversight functions, improve legislative workers’ welfare, cooperate with the Executive in an atmosphere of interdependence and hasten budgetary passage.

    Ndume flaunted his skills and experience spanning 16 years as a member of the House of Representatives, where he was Minority Leader between 2007 and 2011, and in the Senate, where he served as House Leader between 2015 and 2019.

    The senator said he decided to participate in the race because of his stiff opposition to imposition, adding that democracy must prevail at all times.

    Unfolding his vision for the Ninth Senate, Ndume said: “The National Assembly as an institution is drifting from what it is supposed to be. The National Assembly comprises of 360 members of the House of Representatives and 109 members of Senate. The Senate should be a stabilising institution of democracy. It is important that it should have good leadership.

    Read also: North East elders, stakeholders back Ndume for Senate President

    “The Senate is being eroded. The institution is being personalised. I want to be Senate President, not senators’ President.

    “The Senate President presides. Yet, he loses his voting right, except there is a tie. The Ninth Assembly should have an agenda. I want a Senate that is independent but working inter-dependently with the Executive without compromising the constitution.”

    The former Senate Leader reflected on the Constituency Project Bill, which he initiated in the Upper Chamber, saying the objective was to ensure the spread of dividends of democracy to the grassroots.

    He acknowledged that he may have courted controversy in the course of standing firm and being frank, adding that devotion to truth and justice had been the hallmark of his life.

    Ndume said: “My problem is that I am frank to a fault. I try to speak the truth from my heart. I say it as I see it because I am what I am. Dishonesty, as a 60-year-old, is not in my character. I have suffered for it. It is better to stand for the right thing, even if you are alone. It is good to be alone in truth, instead of joining the crowd.”

    The senator also spoke on his previous political battles, which he won.

    He assured the nation that his ambition to lead the Ninth Senate would see the light of the day.

    Ndume said: “The party says it is Ahmed Lawan. But the Lord gives power. Is it the party that gives power or God? It is God. The election will be decided by the senators-elect. By God’s grace, I will win the election. If I don’t, that means God has something better for me than the Senate President.”

     

  • Buhari to tell Goje, Ndume: Lawan is APC’s candidate

    President Muhammadu Buhari may hold a “frank” meeting with two of the three aspirants for Senate President  – Sen. Danjuma Goje and Sen. Ali Ndume — on the adoption of Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan for the office.

    The All Progressives Congress(APC) is working towards a lone candidate for the job.

    Lawan yesterday intensified lobbying of senators-elect from the opposition, especially those from the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

    The main issue between the APC team and the PDP  senators-elect has been the mode of voting during the inauguration of the Senate in June.

    There are indications that a block vote by PDP senators may not be possible.

    According to sources, the President decided to intervene in the race for Senate president to avoid APC going into the battle as a divided house.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The President will meet with Goje and Ndume to explain to them the rationale behind the adoption of Lawan as the party’s candidate for Senate president.

    “Some of the aspirants have claimed that Buhari has not stated where he stands on the matter. In order not to take things for granted, the President has decided to hold a frank session with Goje and Ndume.

    “ The meeting will hold at or before the weekend. But after the dialogue, the President and the party may then draw the battle line if the two aspirants do not want to respect the supremacy of APC.

    “We hope reason will prevail and these aspirants will leave the party united.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “The Presidency and the APC are working towards the emergence of one candidate for the Office of the President of the Senate. This is the maximum Buhari and other leaders may tolerate.”

    A member of Lawan’s campaign team said after the meeting with more senators-elect from the opposition, especially the PDP, the Senate Leader was trying to consolidate the gains made “by building confidence and trust”.

    “There are some prejudices and fears  we have succeeded in addressing to allay misgivings by our colleagues,” he said, pleading not to be named because he is not permitted to talk on the issue.

    The source spoke on the mode of voting during the inauguration of the National Assembly on June 6.

    “Those in APC are adamant on open voting and some senators-elect in the opposition have stuck to secret ballot system. We are confident that we shall all be on the same page before the inauguration,” he said.

    PDP senators-elect are not likely to vote same way.

    One said: “I think because of certain interests peculiar to some of us, block voting might be difficult for PDP. We do not have the number to dominate the Senate and if Lawan wins, those opposed to him might not get befiting committees.

    “So, in casting votes for any candidate, you have to align the interest of the party with the overriding interest of your constituents who are demanding the dividends of democracy. Some of us are not going to the Senate to be bench warmers.”

    Read also: Senate leadership: APC governors step in

    Also yesterday,  a Joint Consultative Forum of Northern Youth Groups dismissed  the insinuations that Lawan  would be remote-controlled by unseen hands if elected as Senate president.

    It described the allegation as  ”false and cheap blackmail”.

    The forum hailed the senator as “a man of integrity, whose consistency in vying for Senate president is in line with his belief in the independence of legislature”.

    In a communiqué jointly signed by the forum’s Director of Media and Publication and Chairperson of the  communiqué Committee, Isah Imam Muhammed and Zainab Aliyu Sabon-Birni, the forum said among all the contending senators, only Lawan possesses  leadership trait which can help Nigeria.

    The forum said: “It is pertinent to state that Senator Lawan cannot be anybody’s stooge as a Senate President.”

    “We appeal  to other aspirants to see reason and rally round Lawan who has the capacity to lead the 9th Senate for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians.

    “ Lawan enjoys a lot of respect from the Executive arm of government, which is a good signal of a harmonious working relationship between the two arms of government in the next dispensation. ”As youths of Nigeria who are critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project, our support for Senator Lawan is predicated on our belief that he will serve as a bridge that will unite the Senate, irrespective of party leaning.

    ”We believe he will deploy his experience and goodwill to bring about harmonious working relationship within and among all arms of government in the next dispensation in the interest of national unity, peace and development.”

     

  • Borno elders: we didn’t endorse Ndume for Senate Presidency

    The Borno Elders Forum has denied the purported endorsement of Ali Ndume (Borno South) for the senate presidency.

    The forum said doing so would amount to splitting other Borno citizens like a member of House of Representatives from Biu, Betara Aliyu who is aspiring to become speaker.

    Secretary of the forum, Bulama Mali Gubio, said the clarification became necessary in view of repeated media reports that have prompted diverse reactions and enquiries from citizens of the state.

    Gubio said: “First of all, the Borno Elders forum holds Distinguished Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume in very high esteem as an accomplished son of Borno State.

    “However, the forum will want to issue clarification to forestall any more confusion. Last week, there were media reports claiming that Borno elders had endorsed the aspiration of Senator Ndume for the President of the ninth Senate.

    Read also: Lawan: I won’t preside over a rubber-stamp Senate

    “When we saw that report, we felt there was no need to respond to it since Ndume is a son of Borno and like other sons and daughters he is entitled to the support of Borno elders.

    “To our surprise, this week, we saw another round of media report claiming that Borno elders have for the second time endorsed Ndume’s aspiration.

    “Although the reports bears the names of other people in the state, it is however public knowledge that whenever the phrase ‘Born elders’ is mentioned, what immediately comes to mind is the Borno Elders Forum, which has gained prominence as a pressure group that promotes and defends the interest of Borno sons and daughters.

    The elders added: “For instance, we are aware the one of our sons from Biu, Hon. Betara Aliyu is aspiring to become Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    “If people assume that Borno elders have endorsed Ndume, it is like saying we are opposed to Betara’s aspiration because it will be politically foolish to endorse two sons for the Senate Presidency and Speaker of House of Reps at the same time.

    “We also know that some of our sons have open and quiet aspirations. In addition to that, in our political history, Borno and Yobe states are one and the same.

    “Yobe was carved out of Borno in 1991. Majority of Yobe leaders have houses in Maiduguri. Yes, sons and daughters of Borno and Yobe have the legitimate rights to pursue their political aspirations but we elders of Borno and Yobe normally do not come out publicly to endorse anyone because whatever comes to Borno is celebrated by the people of Yobe and whatever comes to Yobe is celebrated by us in Borno.

    “We don’t oppose each other in public. It is against our tradition as elders of Borno and Yobe states to oppose our sons. We support all of them or we keep silent.

    “I will call on whoever is using the name of Borno elders to please understand our history and promote our peace and unity.”

  • My visit to Osinbajo not on Senate President, says Ndume

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday held talks with former Senate Leader Ali Ndume at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Details of their meeting were not made public but the Borno senator dismissed speculations that he was at the State House over his aspiration to become the next Senate President.

    Ndume had declared his intention to run for the number three highest political office in the land despite the endorsement of the Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan for the position in the Ninth Senate by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    After his parley with the vice president, the senator declined to speak on camera with State House reporters.

    When asked by reporters whether he would step down, he asked rhetorically “me?”  He refused to speak further on his ambition.

    He, however, said that he was still holding consultation.

    “This is not the time to talk now because I am still holding consultation,” he stated.

    In a chat with The Nation, Ndume explained that his visit to the Presidential Villa had to do with humanitarian issues in Borno State.

    Ndume said: “My visit to the vice president has nothing to do with my ambition.  I did not discuss any political issue with him.

    “The vice president has been deeply concerned on the challenges in Borno State.  I normally get in touch with him because of humanitarian issues in our state. This was what I went to discuss with him.

    “I did not talk about my aspiration to be the next President of the Senate and the vice president also didn’t raise it.”

    Borno governor pays solidarity visit to Lawan

    Read Also: Breaking: Osinbajo, Ndume meet in Aso Rock

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima paid a solidarity visit to the Senate Leader, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, who who has signaled interest to become the next Senate President.

    The visit dispelled insinuations that the governor hurriedly left for Saudi Arabia to avoid receiving Lawan last Saturday.

    According to a source, the governor’s visit boosted the morale of Lawan’s camp because one of the aspirants for the office, Sen. Ali Ndume also hails from the Northeast state.

    The source said: “The governor, who is also a Senator-elect, was at the campaign secretariat of Lawan to show some solidarity.

    “Lawan and leaders in his campaign group went for a wedding on Saturday in Maiduguri but the governor was alleged to have sneaked out of the state to Saudi Arabia in order not to receive the team.

    “But the governor dispelled rumours of shunning Lawan. His presence changed the mood at our campaign secretariat.

    “We were happy that the governor has demonstrated that he is true party leader. This is a plus for us because one of the contestants, Sen. Ali Ndume is from Borno State.

    “So far, Lawan has met virtually all the senators across party lines. We are making substantial progress.”

  • Lawan, Goje, Ndume: Who becomes next Senate President?

    Three senators-Ahmed Lawan, Danjuma Goje and Ali Ndume-are in the race for Senate President. Who becomes the number three citizen? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the aspirants, their chances and constraints.

    From 1960 to date, Nigeria has produced 12 Senate Presidents. In the First Republic, the late Dr. Nnamidi Azikiwe and Dr. Nwafor Orozu, served as heads of the ceremonial Senate under the parliamentary system.

    In the Second Republic, Dr. Joseph Wayas, was the Chairman of the National Assembly under the presidential system. The Third Republic produced Dr. Iyocha Ayu and Ahmed Ebute.

    In the last 20 years, seven prominent politicians have occupied the seat. They are the late Chief Evans Ewerem, the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, Pius Ayim, Adulphus Wabara, Ken Nnamani, General David Mark and Dr. Bukola Saraki.

    The question is: who becomes next Senate President?

    The Senate President is number two member of the President’s kitchen cabinet. In the absence of the Commander-In-Chief and his deputy, he automatically becomes the acting president. The Senate President is the Chairman of the National Assembly, which comprises the Senate and the House of Representatives. When there is gulf between the president and holder of the post, the lack of cordial relations will definitely affect the smooth running of governance.

    The effects may manifest in delay in passage of budgets, denial of approval for presidential nominees, defections and executive/parliamentary tension.

    Since independence, there was never a time the head of government was aloof to the election of key National Assembly officers, except in 2015. Also, the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President have always come from the ruling party, except there a coalition or accord between the ruling party and an opposition party. Usually, the principal officers have always emerged, following the deliberations by the party caucus, in an atmosphere of party supremacy and corresponding party discipline.

    Historically, the position was also zoned to a region. The arrangement often confer on the leaders and stakeholders from the region to play an important role in selection. Since charity begins at home, it is expected that the aspirant would have solve himself to senators from his region before reaching out to those aoutside the zone. Forces outside the zone may be formidable and powerful to be ignored, making stakeholders to dance to their tune.

    However, since 2015, it has become evident that the opposition has been positioned to play a key role in the emergence of the Senate President, particularly when the ruling party is unable to put its house in order or enforce discipline among its federal legislators. Although the voting are done separately, the outcome of the inner elections in the Upper Chamber may significantly affect the voting pattern in the Lower Chamber.

    Many APC senators have not made up their minds on the direction to swing the pendulum. The reason is that President Muhammdu Buhari has not directly declared his preference for the apex parliamentary position.

    Three senators are struggling to occupy the Senate Presidency. They hail from the Northeast. The general understanding in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is that the slot has been zoned to the region.

    Senate Leader Dr. Ahmed Lawan, a former two-time House of Representatives member and third-time senator, is from Yobe State. In 2015, he showed interest in the position. But, he lost to Saraki in controversial circumstances. He is the candidate of the party. To that extent, the intention of the PDP caucus is to abort his dream. Lawan has the support of APC senators from the Southwest, Northcentral, Northwest where his campaign manager, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, hails from, and the lone Young Party of Nigeria (YPN) senator from Anambra State, Ifeanyi Ubah. Also, the two senators from the South, Senator Aliemekena (Edo North)  and Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central) are toeing the party line.

    Lawan’s challengers, Danjuma Goje and Ali Ndume, are not pushovers. Goje is a former Minister of State for Power and Steel and governor of Gombe State. Under his leadership, the APC extended tentacles into the state, which had been a stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for two decades. He is influential in the ‘former Governors’ bloc in the Senate. Naturally, as a former PDP chieftains, he has links with the main opposition party, whose chieftains have been mounting pressures on him to declare his interest. But, sources close to him said that he is not a desperate aspirant. However, PDP is trying to bring Goje and Ndume together in amity so that one can step down for the other.

    Ndume is always full of bravado. He is from Borno State. He is a survivor of personal battles in the Senate. He was once suspended from the Senate in error. He is the former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, where he spent eight years before moving up to the Senate. Ndume is not the choice of the APC leadership, which perceives him as a very controversial politician. Although there is also a friction between him and a section of PDP Senate caucus who are still loyal to Saraki, efforts are being made to make the two sides reconcile. Since the PDP Senate caucus is more united than the APC Senate caucus, the PDP caucus cannot be ignored. In fact, some APC leaders perceive Ndume as a spoiler, who joined the race in bad faith. In their view, the senator should have vied for other key offices, following Lawan’s endorsement for the topmost position. But, according to observers, Ndume has the inalienable right to contest.

    With a benefit of hindsight, Senator-elect Dayo Adeyeye urged the APC to promote compromise by reaching out to Goje and Ndume, who will then sacrifice their personal interests for the party’s collective interest.

    The aspirants are reaching out to their colleagues across the six regions. Their campaign organisations are not sleeping on guard. The three aspirants also know that the choice of a deputy Senate President may play a balancing role. The manifestos of the aspirants are similar, except that Lawan has often emphasised the need for respect for party supremacy.

    Read also: Pressure on Goje to accept Lawan for Senate President

    Lawan’s campaign slogan is: ‘a Senate and National Assembly that works for Nigeria.’The Senate Leader said the next Senate should assist the country by helping President Buhari to achieve his agenda in the areas of security, economy, job creation and anti-corruption battle.

    He said while he is conversant with the doctrine of the separation of powers, it should not translate into an unnecessary rift that will cripple harmonious working relations among the organs of government to the detriment of the country.

    Lawan, who described himself as a progressive, observed that the next Senate will be made up of seasoned professionals, technocrats and statesmen, adding that “the experience we have garnered will help us to assist the country through legislation.”Justifying his fitness for the role, he said: “I have been in the National Assembly for almost 20 years. I have served in the House of Representatives for eight years and the Senate for 12 years, I thank God and my people for renewing may mandate.

    “I am a progressive. I was an APP and later, ANPP House of Representatives member and I am now in the APC. I believe in the progressive politics, in ensuring that ordinary people- the masses- get support and opportunities to actualise their potentials and dreams. We should support entrepreneurship and business to grow and thrive for employment to boom.”

    The Senate Leader said his consultation is all-inclusive, stressing that no senator-elect will be taken for granted. He said: “We are not taking anybody for granted. We take the campaign seriously. We are going round to talk to party leaders, senators-elect, stakeholders. We have been talking to PDP senators-elect. We have our limitations as human beings.”

    Lawan said he will always demonstrate his respect for party supremacy, hinting that, if the position is zoned outside the Northeast, he will respect the decision of the party.

    He said President Buhari should be assisted to accomplish his programmes in the areas of security, economic revatilisation, job creation and anti-corruption fight through robust legislation.

    The Senate Leader said the Senate must also legislate to grow an all-inclusive economy and support agricultural development, adding that “our economy can be better, if we make the business environment better to encourage investors.”

    On other aspirants, he said: “We take it as a game. We don’t talk badly or negatively about our colleagues in the race.”

  • Ndume’s defiance

    It’s a familiar drama. The central character is different this time, but the play is recognisable.  Senator Ali Ndume wants to be President of the Senate in the 9th National Assembly, against the position of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The APC is backing Senator Ahmad Lawan for the top seat in the upper chamber of the federal legislature.

    Ndume, on April 2, released his nine-point agenda ahead of June 9 when the next Senate President will be elected. The former Senate majority leader representing Borno South pledged to “work harmoniously and inter-dependently with the executive without undermining the principle of separation of powers.”

    It is noteworthy that the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, had earlier indicated that the party wanted Lawan to head the next Senate.   But Ndume had argued that Oshiomhole did not express the party’s position on the matter.

    However, according to the party’s spokesman, Lanre Isa-Onilu, “The ticket he (Ndume) is holding belongs to the APC and he cannot go and work with the opposition to give what belongs to the APC to the opposition, like it happened in 2015 when the position of the Deputy Senate President was given to the opposition by some desperate former members of the APC.”

    Isa-Onilu added: “Ndume will be wrong to be calling out the party’s national chairman. The national chairman spoke on behalf of the party. And when we talk of the party in this instance, it is not just about the NWC. The President (Muhammadu Buhari) was there when he said it. He did not say anything that the President was not aware of. He did not say anything that the leaders of the APC are not already part of.”

    So, what is Ndume up to? The APC‘s leadership has made it clear that what happened four years ago will not be allowed to happen again.  The outgoing Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who was then an APC member, had got the position by working against the party’s preference. It is no surprise that Saraki’s anti-party scheming brought him a burden.

    Party supremacy means the party is supreme. If the party had picked Ndume for the position, how would he have responded if another party member had challenged the party’s choice?

    Ndume needs to rethink his defiant posture.  He should learn from history. He can’t afford to work against party discipline, party cohesion and party integrity. A word to the wise is enough!

  • ‘Why insurgency may last beyond 2023’

    Kudla Satumari contested the Senatorial seat for the Southern Borno Senatorial District against current Senator representing the area, Senator Ali Ndume, who was declared winner of the seat. An aviation consultant and philanthropist, Satumari, in this interview with Tony Akowe, speaks on the outcome of the election, the security situation in the Northeast. Excerpts

    DOES it bother you that the man you contested against is moving a step further to contest the position of the Senate President?

    It does not bother me at all. If he won the election free and square, I will be one of the people championing his desire to be Senate President considering the fact that he is from my Senatorial District and being the Senate President, he could attract some developmental projects to the state and senatorial district. What people don’t know is that I have worked assiduously for him to become a Senator representing Southern Borno in 2011. I was one of the people that worked so hard for him to emerge as Senator. I even built a primary school in my area and named it after him. It is not that I am fighting him or not happy that he wants to be Senate President, but just like Obasanjo would say, we should not reinforce failure because for the past eight years that he has been in the Senate, I cannot say for certainty that this is what he has done to justify his being there to represent the good people of southern Borno. Apart from getting involved in controversy, if you go to my senatorial district, you will know more of this person who is larger than life when he comes to Abuja. This is somebody that could not go to his senatorial district as a candidate to participate in his own primary. He is there because the governor of Borno State and the powers that be wanted him as a candidate. Otherwise, the people resisted him and did not want to see him. In Gwoza, the Senatorial headquarters where they held their primary, he could not go there because the people did not want to see him. This is somebody who has never gone out one day to campaign. This is not the Ndume that we know. But by the time things started unfolding, the people said they wanted him removed from the seat. That was while there was a consensus among our people, irrespective of religion or other considerations. They came and said, we must vote this person out. In about seven, out of nine local governments, by 4.00pm, the exit poll already suggested that we have won the election and people were screaming, running around and shouting my name that I have already won. Within a short period of time, when votes were being collated at the polling units to the collation centres, figures began to change. In his own local government, a bomb was dropped on Election Day and that was a local government where election held in two places because the people are displaced. Yet, they retuned 113,000 votes, the highest in any of the local government, when Biu, the Senatorial headquarters where people have never moved since the insurgency began brought only 54000 votes. In Abuja alone, we have 14 IDP camps, with 75 percent of the population from Gwoza. About 75000 people are behind the Gwoza hills on the Cameroon side. We have camps in Taraba; we have camps in Keffi here, in Abuja, in Jos and in Kaduna. How did you mobilise these people to come and vote on Election Day. On a day when bombs began to fly, people from hiding in the hills suddenly came down to vote and came up with 113,000 votes, higher than Maiduguri Metropolitan with the highest number of registered voters. How can you justify telling me that you have 95 percent voter turnout in two towns out of 13 wards. Any discerning person knows that elections may have held, there were other things that took place.

    Will you accept out of court settlement?

    Never! There are people that by their fruits, you shall know them. In 2015, I contested election. I was the preferred candidate to win. In my local government, we have a tarred road separating two towns. On side of the road, is Adamawa and on the other side, is Borno State. They told me that there was insecurity on my side of the road and they refused to hold election there and moved it to the IDP camp in Maiduguri. Because of the insecurity, the shortest route you could take then was about 12 hours from my constituency to Maiduguri and yet they took the election there. Meanwhile, on the other side of the road, which is Adamawa, they were holding election and insecurity did not bother them. Fast track that to 2019: A bomb was released on that same day and election still went ahead. Regarding the issue of settling out of court; this is not about me, but about my people. When I say about my people, I don’t want to go emotional, but the level of insecurity in my area is so much that I don’t know what is happening. I don’t know if we still have men of character and integrity to question what is happening. It took a legislator from Jigawa State to go to Maiduguri, observe what was happening and almost cried on the floor of the National Assembly. Yet, we have a people representing us as senators. We have a member of the Defence Committee from Borno State; we have a member of the committee on Army from Borno State, we had Senator Ndume who was the Senate Leader and he could not say a single word about the circle of insurgency that is happening. Nobody is bringing the insurgency to the centre stage. My 80 year old mother, by 3.00am last week, slept in the bush. They come here and told us that they have degraded Boko Haram and the kind of insecurity that we are experiencing everyday has never been under Jonathan. Under Jonathan, it was worse because they can take over a whole local government, sit down and operate from there. But the kind of hit and run that we are having and the seeming lack of concern or tangible effort being made by those in authority and this makes one to wonder whether we are still part of this country? So, I will never accept any form of settlement out of court. Let the court decide and say he has won. If that happens, I will appeal and let the appeal court also say he has won. If that also happens and since I cannot go further than that, I will leave it to God. But there is no amount of threats that will stop me. My life has been threatened several times. There is nothing that has not been done. There is nobody on the surface of this earth, including my mother that I cherish and respect so much, that can come and tell me to step down because of whatever consideration. I will never concede. Even if the lawyers refuse to defend me, I will defend myself.

    Some of your adversaries will say that you are just being a bad loser. What do you have to say to this?

    If you hear my story, you will know that my people are with me and I don’t think that anybody will say that I am a bad loser. I am not a professional politician. I am a professional in politics. I have something that I do that can keep me busy. If you ask me what they get at the National Assembly, I don’t even know. I only know that when I become the Senator of the Federal Republic, I can easily access some privileges and bring some development to my people. God gave us the money to do what we did as well as dedicated and committed people to work with. While people are entitled to their own opinion, I can tell you that majority of my people will tell you that I am not a desperate politician.

    If you eventually take over the seat, what are those things that you want to do for your people?

    One thing I know that I can do is that if I knock on some doors, I can get some grants and development projects to my senatorial district. I have gotten grants for people in the past. I have worked for international donor agencies in different places to seek interventions in some areas and have built hospitals in the area without being a senator. If I use the office of the Senator of the Federal Republic, I know that will open more doors with bigger opportunities.

    You said insecurity has been on the rise. From your point of view, what are we not getting right in the fight against insurgency?

    First, I may not be able to speak authoritatively on security issues because there may be things they know that we don’t know. I speak the way I am speaking because I am from the Northeast and have experienced the bitterness and the pain of losing 13 of my direct relations in one day and another 35 members of my extended family in one day. I am a living witness to the extent that I know that my village is not more secured under Jonathan. I want to tell anybody that cares to know that if Jonathan had remained President up till today, probably, the level of degradation of insecurity would have been the same with what we have now or even more. If in six weeks that Jonathan sought for extension of election, he was able to reclaim and degrade their capacity to the extent that election held in every part of Borno State, including Chibok, then, I want to believe that if he had three years, he would have rolled them and pushe them to the extent we are today that people are saying it’s only Buhari that can do it. When I was in the university, I had two pictures on my wall. One was Thomas Sankara and the other was Buhari. That was how much I idolise and respected him. But right now, I am disappointed with his leadership in this dispensation. I believe that we can do more with the resources being pumped into the northeast; with the kind of international support we have willing to assist us degrade the capacity of these people. If we don’t change the current group of people that are being recycled in Borno State as elected representatives, we may have Boko Haram beyond 2023. We have to change the strategy because if you use the same strategy every day, you will have the same outcome. That is our pain and that is why we are crying and shouting and people are not taking our cry anywhere.

    Some of the Chibok girls are still in captivity. What did we not do right in trying to rescue them?

    Like I said, there are somethings that I may be able to talk about. What I know and what I can see is that the enthusiasms with which they talk about degrading Boko Haram and the insurgency is not the same thing they are putting on ground in terms of touching the lives of the people. There are two things that will make people feel at home. Number one, provide the security and number two, provide them the assurance that they are safe and secured. These two things need to come together for people to feel comfortable.