Senator Ali NdumeA group going by the name “Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights” (CASER) has vowed to seek legal redress against the Nigerian Senate over the suspension of Senator Ali Ndume for a period of six months.
In a statement in which the group gave the Senate 48 hours to recall the suspended Senator, the Executive Director, Frank Tietie, described the action of the Senate as having violated 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.
“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.
“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 insisted that the action of the Senators is a misapplication of Section 21 of the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act, even as it viewed the suspension as a means of punishing a perceived erring legislative house member which it said is a very serious matter as it touches on the right of a citizen in a participatory democracy to be represented in governance through the National Assembly.
“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.”
The group expressed worry that the 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. [myad]
