The Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, has explained why he walked out of the Upper Chamber after an exchange with the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday.
Ndume, speaking during the plenary, brought the lawmakers’ attention to what he thought were contraventions.
The Borno South senator invoked a point of order to call Akpabio’s attention to “procedural infringements” in the chamber.
Akpabio did not allow Ndume to complete his speech and the senator stormed out of the chamber afterwards.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Ndume explained that the situation emanated “when Senator Kawu Sumaila proposed a motion which he said was urgent on closing the border between Nigeria and Niger”.
Explaining further, he said, “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 added, “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. 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.”
