Senator Ali
Ndume, who was suspended, has provided more insight into his suspension, saying
he will not apologise to Senate President Bukola Saraki in order to
get
reinstated.
Ndume spoke
on Saturday as a crowd of supporters turned out on to receive him when he
visited his constituency, Borno South, for the first time since his suspension
from the Senate.
He was
placed on a 181-day suspension by his colleagues for demanding that the upper
legislative house investigate publications that accused Saraki and Dino Melaye,
of improper activities.
Saraki was
accused of using fake Customs papers to import an official vehicle while Mr.
Melaye was accused of lying that he graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University.
Following
Mr. Ndume’s request, the Senate conducted an investigation that cleared the lawmakers,
while Mr. Ndume was subsequently punished for raising a false alarm.
On Saturday,
Ndume embarked on a visiting tour of some parts of his constituency where he
was welcomed by supporters who declared support for him.
The Senator,
during the visit addressed his constituents at various locations where he told
them that his plight at the National Assembly was because of his insistence on
doing the right thing.
“Your Royal
Highness, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it took us hours to squeeze through
the crowd of supporters to get to this place. And this gives me the greatest
joy because my people still appreciate me.
“I will not
remain a Senator for the rest of my life; but for the time I serve as the
representative of my people, I shall continue to do and tell the truth. I know
if I had erred, I would not have been received here. But I enjoy the support of
my people because they know my suspension was because I spoke the truth.
“I know
those that suspended me are going now regretting their actions because of the
massive protest that trailed my illegal suspension. After seeing the support
that I enjoy from Nigerians, the same people that suspended me came to say I
should tender an apology so that my suspension could be lifted. But I said no
to that because I did not commit any offence in the first place.
“They later
came to say the Senate President, Senator Melaye and I should go and reconcile
our difference; and I told them that I had no issue with either of them, so
there is nothing to reconcile – as far as I am concerned we have a good working
relationship.
“But I thank
the Governor of Borno State, and Your Royal Highness, the Emir of Biu, and all
those that sent emissaries in seeking to ensure that this issue is resolved. We
are still talking, but I know I had not committed any offence.”
“My religion
enjoins me to always stand on the path of truth even if I turn around and found
that everyone has deserted me.
“Firstly, I
know my trouble with them started because of my support for the policies and
ideals of President Muhammadu Buhari. Secondly, when Ibrahim Magu’s name was
brought to the Senate as nominee for the Chairmanship of EFCC, some group in
the senate insisted that he would not be cleared. And in my position as the
then Senate Majority leader, it was incumbent upon me to support any nominee
sent in by the Executive. Besides that, the same nominee is from my state,
Borno; besides, he [Magu] had committed no offence to be denied the senate
clearance.
“Above all,
the majority of Nigerians loved him because he is doing the job well even as an
acting chairman of EFCC."
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