Stormy Senate session as Ndume walks out on plenary after disagreeing with Akpabio
By Emma Ogbuehi
The seeming crisis of confidence rocking the upper chamber of the National Assembly became more apparent on Tuesday when the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, called for an emergency closed-door session during plenary.
The closed-door session followed a walkout staged by the Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, after Akpabio ruled him out of order.
Trouble started brewing in the Red Chamber when Ndume (APC Borno South), raised a point of order on alleged errors committed by Akpabio.
The error referred to by Ndume was a motion moved by Senator Summaila Kawu (NNPP Kano South), for debate on the need for re-opening of Nigeria–Niger border, without stating the title of his motion.
Ndume who rose through order 51 of the Senate standing rules, requested the Senate President to allow for correction of any error made or observed in plenary.
“This is the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guided by laws, rules and procedures. If in the course of proceedings at any session, errors are observed, they must be corrected before forging ahead with such proceeding,” he said.
But Akpabio quickly interjected by saying that having ruled on issues raised it cannot be revisited and consequently ruled Ndume out of order.
Senator Sunday Karimi (APC Kogi West), spiritedly attempted to sustain Ndume’s line of argument through another point of order but was also ruled out of order by Akpabio.
In a troubleshooting effort, the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, quickly rose to read order 16, which requires a substantive motion to be moved by any Senator for correction or review of earlier decision taken.
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Sustaining of Barau’s point of order by Akpabio infuriated Ndume who raised another point of order (Order 54) still seeking for the correction of the perceived error.
He drew the attention of the Senate President to his handling of affairs in the chambers which he said were not in consonance with the rules.
Ndume said: “Mr. President, there are some things we do in this chamber that are against the rules. Sir, nobody is too big to learn….”
At this point, Akpabio interjected again and called for a copy of the Standing Orders.
He proceeded to read order 54 and said it did not support the point Ndume was making and thereafter ruled him out of order.
Upon the action of the Senate President, Ndume who was visibly angry packed the files and papers on his desk and stormed out of the Chamber straight to his office.
Apparently worried, Senators hurriedly went into closed-door session.
The Chief Whip was just settling down when he received a call from a colleague to return to the chamber for an executive session.
However, neither the Senate nor Ndume spoke on the issue after the executive session.
Senator Ndume was one of Akpabio’s allies in the Senate.
In June, he led the campaign for Akpabio’s Senate presidency quest, claiming that President Bola Tinubu told him that Akpabio was his preferred candidate.
“The President told me that his preferred candidate is Akpabio and I should lead the campaign,” Ndume said on Channels Television’s Politics Today in June.
But even then he said Akpabio should be held accountable for his actions in office if elected.
But there seems to be cracks in their relationship in recent times.
Senator Ndume and others on Thursday criticized Akpabio for passing certain bills without properly informing members.
In a video from Thursday’s sitting, Ndume lamented the rate at which the Senate President passes bills without formal reading and members’ contributions.
“You are just passing bills without prior notification, including money bills, you just pass bills within two hours without anyone’s contribution. This is not good for Nigeria”, he said.
Also speaking, Senator Ogoshi Onawo, PDP, Nasarawa State, decried the hasty passage of sensitive bills.
He said: “Sir, you are on the seat today, history is going to judge you that things like this are not good for this country.”
Akpabio in his response said: “If the bills we are passing are good for the country, history will judge me right. I don’t think we would come here to pass a bill that’s not good for the interest of Nigerians. So, your point of order is noted.”
