Tension in Senate as Senate Whip, Ndume walks out of sitting

By Iyojo Ameh

There was palpable tension on the floor of the red chamber on Tuesday as barely few minutes after commencement of sitting the Senate Chief Whip , Senator Ali Ndume raised point of order on alleged errors committed which ought to have been corrected by the President of the Senate , Godswill Akpabio .

According to senator Ndume , the error was a motion moved by Senator Summaila Kawu, representing Kano South, for debate on the need for re- opening of Nigerian-Niger Border , without stating the title of his motion .

Ndume who rose throuh order 51 of the Senate standing rules , requested the Senate President to allow for correction of any error observed during sitting.

Senator Ndume said, ” This is the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guided by laws , rules and procedures . If in the course of proceedings at any session, errors are observed , they must be corrected before forging ahead with such proceeding.”

But Akpabio quickly intercepted him by saying having ruled on issues raised , it can not be revisited and consequently ruled Ndume out of order.

Senator Sunday Karimi representing Kogi West spiritedly attempted to sustain Ndume’s line of discourse through another point of order but was also swiftly ruled out of order by president of the Senate.

The Deputy President of the Senate , Jibrin Barau quickly rose to read order 16 , which requires a substantive motion to be moved by any Senator for correction or review of earlier decision taken.

Sustaining of Barau’s point of order by Akpabio , angered senator Ndume who raised another point of order ( order 54) to seek for correction of perceived error and was still ruled out of order.

The decision of president of the Senate to rule him out of order twice made senator Ali NDUME to pack his belongings and stormed out of the chamber.

The Lawmakers later went into an executive session to trash out their differences