SENATOR ALI NDUME AND THE ROYAL FIEFDOM OF SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI :
NOTICE OF 48 HOURS TO THE NIGERIAN SENATE TO RESCIND THE SUSPENSION OF SENATOR ALI NDUME OR FACE THE LEGAL MUSIC
The Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) as a group of human rights defenders frowns at the suspension of Senator Ali Ndume for a period of six months.
We at CASER are amused and troubled that for asking his colleagues in the senate to investigate a matter which he read about in the dailies, Senator Ali Ndume representing Borno South Senatorial District has been punished with a suspension from participating in law making activities in the Senate for six months.
This action of the Nigerian Senate is in clear violation of the provision of Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which guarantees the right to hold an opinion and to express same freely in Nigeria.
It amounts to crass intolerance on the part of majority of the senators whose many governmental sins and political foibles have been many times overlooked by Nigerians, yet the same senators have chosen come down hard on one of their own for exercising his right to hold an opinion to which he is entitled under the Constitution to so freely express.
CASER therefore posits that the action of the Nigerian Senators is a misapplication of Section 21 of the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act.
The use of suspension as a means of punishing a perceived erring legislative house member is a very serious matter since it touches on the right of a citizen in a participatory democracy to be represented in governance through the National Assembly.
The senators ought to have given more consideration to the interest of the people of Borno South by choosing to simply express their reservations on the matter rather than moving to deprive the people of their right to be represented by suspending the senator representing a people of a senatorial district.
CASER has therefore resolved to legally challenge the Nigerian Senate with its leadership if it fails within 48 hours to rescind the suspension of Senator Ali Ndume, the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District.
CASER is very mindful that perhaps, for the reason of political correctness, Senator Ndume may have chosen to leave his fate in the hands of his fellow senators for the next six months but that is of immaterial consideration as the resolve by CASER to legally challenge the Senate arises from the need to check the rising arrogance and intolerance among Senators, to which extent a people’s representatives has been suspended in breach of his fundamental right to free speak his mind and the right of a people to be represented in the National Assembly.
CASER is worried that the Nigerian Senate is becoming a fiefdom with an unwritten law that overly exalts loyalty to its president, Dr Bukola Saraki, above the recognition of the right of a Senator or any other ordinary Nigerian citizen.
The basic rights of Nigerian citizens should be respected at all levels of social strata.
Frank Tietie
Executive Director, Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights ( CASER )
Abuja.
