Ali Ndume Dares Tinubu, Insists On Becoming Senate President

Senator Ali Ndume has moved against his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed, over his bid to become president of the 9th Senate.

Ndume, a former senate leader and the senator representing Borno South senatorial district, has unveiled a nine-point agenda regarding his bid which is against the resolution reached by the APC.

The ruling party was said to have endorsed the current Senate Leader and senator representing Yobe North senatorial district, Ahmed Lawan, for the senate president position, while fielding Mr Femi Gbajabiamila as the party’s choice for Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Tinubu, who is the party’s national leader, had also recently warned that any APC lawmaker-elect that fails to abide by the party’s resolution will get the “whip”.

“Party discipline is key, we must be discipline in the party. We were a little careless in 2015. We created the opportunity for serpent to get into our party and that did not allow Nigeria to make the desired progress,” said Tinubu.

“You have seen the result of it and we are not going to allow that to happen again. We are going to respect our party and we are going to apply the whip.

He stressed that, “It is either you stay with us or you follow us or you leave. You have the freedom to choose but the freedom does not give you as a minority to go and collaborate and protrude our mandate given to you to another party who was our opposition and who is still our opposition.

“We would not take that this time, no matter who you think you are. That is how it is built. Why do you want to deviate from what has been structured? We look at our reward system equally, zone by zone,” said Tinubu.

But Ndume seems undeterred by the APC National Leader’s threat as he has reaffirmed his interest in becoming the next Senate President.

In the nine-point agenda he made available to journalists on Tuesday, Ndume said he was determined to, “work harmoniously and inter-dependently with the executive without undermining the principle of Separation of Power”.

“We will make laws that will block leakages, devise improved means of generating revenue, especially through the amendment and review of our tax laws which will help to reduce reliance on local and foreign loans to finance budget.

“We will run the 9th Senate transparently, through open accountability with full participation of all Senators. For example, we will transfer the approving powers of the privileges of the senators like foreign travels, allowances to Senate services committee or a new committee to be known as ‘ways and means committee’,” said the Senator.