Senator Ali Ndume, Chief Whip of the Senate, has clarified the reason he left the chamber after tackling Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday.
During plenary, Ndume brought the Senate’s attention to what he felt were violations.
Ndume invoked a point of order to alert Akpabio to “procedural infringements” in the chamber, which went against established parliamentary protocol.
The Senate President refused to allow Ndume to complete his speech and the lawmaker exited the chamber afterwards.
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However, in an interview with BBC Hausa, Ndume explained his reason for leaving when the debate on a matter related to the closing of Nigeria’s borders was being debated.
He explained that the situation originated “when Senator Kawu Sumaila proposed a motion which he said was urgent on closing the border between Nigeria and Niger.
“At first, it was argued that the motion was not urgent, but the president of the Senate let him finish what he wanted to say.
“After hearing the motion, it was agreed that since it is related to security, it should be suspended.”
According to him, it was at that point he wanted to explain the importance of the motion to the chamber, but the Senate President denied him the opportunity to speak.
“I would like to clarify that the motion, although impactful, falls outside the jurisdiction of the Nigerian Senate.
“The closure of the border was not initiated by the President of Nigeria, but rather during his tenure as President of ECOWAS. As such, he has the authority to advocate on our behalf.
“In order to address this matter, it is imperative to involve the President of our nation, but I was not afforded the opportunity to convey this message.
“While this was happening, it coincided with the time of prayer, prompting my departure. Consequently, my colleagues misconstrued my exit, and the journalists changed the meaning of my exit,” Ndume said.
He said he told his deputy that he was going to pray, and then he left.
