Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the National Assembly to stop supporting the excessive behavior of the executive branch. This comes after Senator Ali Ndume was removed as Majority Whip for criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, showing a worrying trend of the executive and legislature working together like a dictatorship.
Atiku pointed out that Senator Abdul Ningi was also suspended earlier this year for exposing budget padding, further damaging Nigeria’s democracy. Ndume, from Borno South, was replaced by Senator Mohammed Monguno from Borno North as the Senate Majority Whip.
The decision was communicated in a letter from the national chairman and national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The letter, titled “Complaints Against the Unbecoming Utterances of Sen. Ali Ndume,” was read during a plenary session.
Atiku criticized the Senate’s quick reprimand of senators for doing their duty of holding the executive accountable. He emphasized the importance of the legislative branch in protecting people from executive overreach.
Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed concern that Nigeria’s democracy is under threat due to the Senate’s alignment with the President, rather than serving as a check on executive power.
He highlighted instances where senators were punished for speaking out against government actions, such as Senator Abdul Ningi’s suspension for exposing budget padding. Atiku also criticized the Senate for prioritizing controversial purchases like aircraft and a yacht over addressing the country’s poverty and hunger issues.
Atiku warned that the National Assembly’s support of executive recklessness is damaging democracy and could lead to a dictatorship that further harms the people.
