Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume has explained that his leaving the plenary abruptly on Tuesday was related to his decision to step out of the chamber during the discussion on the closure of Nigeria’s borders.
The Borno South senator appeared to have walked out in disagreement with Senate President Godswill Akpabio ruling him out of order.
During the plenary session, Ndume raised concerns that he believed were violations within the Senate.
He used a point of order to draw the Senate President’s attention to what he perceived as “procedural infringements” taking place in the chamber.
This action was considered against established parliamentary procedures as Akpabio interrupted Ndume’s speech and, as a result, the senator left the chamber.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Ndume explained that his walking out stemmed, “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”.
Ndume also said that he intended to clarify the importance of the motion to the assembly, but the Senate President refused to grant him the chance to address the issue.
“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 (EconomicCommunity of West African States). 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,” he said.
