Atiku slams Senate over Ndume’s removal as Chief Whip

Kunle Sanni

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has criticized the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, accusing it of enabling executive recklessness.

On Wednesday, the Senate removed Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, from his position as Chief Whip. He was replaced by Senator Tahir Monguno from Borno North. This decision followed a plenary session, acting on a request from the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The call for Ndume’s removal was formally made by the APC’s National Working Committee in a letter co-signed by the National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru. In a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, it was mentioned that Ndume had used his position to make unguarded comments and outbursts against the Federal Government, particularly targeting President Bola Tinubu.

In response, Atiku stated that a key concern in the development of governmental systems has been to create a framework that limits the excessive power of the executive branch. He emphasized that a participatory approach to governance, where the government’s legitimacy comes from the people, better serves the interests of the masses.

The former Vice President expressed regret that under the current administration of President Bola Tinubu, democracy in Nigeria has sadly deviated from its fundamental principle of safeguarding the people against executive overreach.

Atiku said, “Regrettably, however, the democracy in Nigeria in the current administration of President Bola Tinubu has become an anathema to that general principle of democracy as providing primary protection for the people against executive excesses.

“This ugly tendency is being manifested by the steady posturing of our National Assembly, especially the Senate, of taking a reverse course in its core function and becoming a puppet in the hands of the President.”