Senate Rejects Motion To Sanction Ndume Over ‘Kleptomaniacs’ Remarks

The Senate has rejected a motion seeking to take punitive measures against former chief whip, Ali Ndume, over a statement made during an interview where he referred to the Lawmakers as “kleptomaniacs”.

The move was rejected when a point of order was raised by Senator Fasuyi Cyril representing Ekiti North on Wednesday.

Sen. Cyril had urged the Senate to take punitive measures against Ndume over the said comment.

However, when the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio eventually put to a voice vote on whether the matter be referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, there was unanimous rejection.

The Senate then dissolved into an executive session.

The move comes after the Senate replaced Ndume with Tahir Munguno as Chief Whip.

In a voice vote, the upper chamber took the unanimous resolution to effect the replacement, after a letter of complaint against the unbecoming utterances of the chief whip, Sen. Ali Ndume by the All Progressive Congress (APC) National Headquarters, was read by the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio.

The Southern Borno Senator who is conspicuously absent today, has been making critical remarks about President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, the economic hardship, food scarcity and the concomitant security crisis.

Ndume was not only stripped of his position as Chief Whip, but the committee he co-chaired as Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations.

He has been moved to Chair the Senate Committee on Tourism.