Re: Senator Ndume: When the chickens are home to roost

Certainly, not anybody need to waste literature to prove that loyalty is not 99.9999% but 100%. Dear Maiwada (if it’s not an Alias) you hinged your literature on loyalty and loyalty alone. You never touched on acceptability, political prowess, sagacity, followership, strength of character, accessibility, popularity across party-lines, zonal depth and party commitment. Therefore, I […]

Certainly, not anybody need to waste literature to prove that loyalty is not 99.9999% but 100%. Dear Maiwada (if it’s not an Alias) you hinged your literature on loyalty and loyalty alone. You never touched on acceptability, political prowess, sagacity, followership, strength of character, accessibility, popularity across party-lines, zonal depth and party commitment.

Therefore, I will take you on loyalty alone. Has it occurred to you that all President Buhari’s ministerial nominees sailed through Senate screening and approval despite upheaval and staunch opposition from members of the opposition PDP.  And that includes Rotimi Amaechi whom the PDP swore never to see become minister.  Even the known Senate tradition which states that a nominee must be approved by 2 of the 3 Senators from his home state was waived. You do not know in details what Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume did to ensure that uncommon feat.

In your ignorance, as displayed in your article that was published in the March 28, 2019 edition of Daily News Nigeria, you rested the business of the National Assembly on the shoulders of the President of Senate. It is instructive to note that Senate President is merely a presiding officer as regards the business of the National Assembly. He doesn’t even have the right to vote, except when there’s a tally. The day to day running and business of the house, coordination of committees etc. rests solely on the Senate Leader. I therefore ask you to explain to the world why President Buhari’s nominees will began to hit Rock of Gibraltar when Senator Ahmed Lawan became Senate Leader. Saraki and Dino with the help of other PDP Senators couldn’t have done that alone, except with the active connivance of Ahmed Lawan. Whatever he as Senate Leader doesn’t allow cannot be tabled for discussion in the business of the day. Was he loyal to Buhari and APC all that while? No! He was loyal to Saraki and PDP as whoever pays the piper dictates the tune.

Talk of the disqualification of EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu, the embarrassment of Custom’s Comptroller General Col. Hameed Ali (rtd). Lack of quorum in INEC Commissioners which nearly stalled preparations for Osun and Ekiti guber elections because Saraki and Lawan refused to screen President Buhari’s INEC Commissioner nominees. Heightened friction between the Executive and Legislature immediately Senator Ndume was removed as Senate Leader. Didn’t you ask yourself why Saraki was so comfortable with Lawan instead of Ndume. Where was Lawan’s loyalty in all this?

Saraki was able to evade and counter all attempts at removing him from office because he has such information. Who gives them to him? Your answer should be Ahmed Lawan. Why wasn’t he able to surpass the O toge in Kwara? Because there was no Ahmed Lawan there to give him information as regards the next line of action.

Senator Ndume’s only offence was aspiring to become President of the Senate, which didn’t go down well with you and your ilk.

APC as a party has no issues with Ndume’s ambition as no parent stifles the growth of any of its child to favour another. Ahmed Lawan’s endorsement came from Oshiomhole and Tinubu and I need not remind you APC doesn’t belong to them.

You do not micro-zone a position as big as 3rd Citizen of Nigeria to an individual.  North East Zone is not in lack of able hands to man the Office of the Senate President and Senator Ndume is fit, experienced, worthy, detribalised and acceptable across all divides to occupy the position.

Isyaku Gambo, Kaduna