As public backlash continues to trail Wednesday’s suspension of the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Senator Ali Ndume by the upper legislature, a human rights defenders group, Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) has issued a 48 ultimatum to the senate to rescind its decision or face a legal action.
While declaring that Ndume’s six months suspension was “unconstitutional” CASER said it has become worrisome that the Nigerian Senate is becoming a fiefdom with an unwritten law that overly exalts loyalty to its president, senator Bukola Saraki, above the recognition of the right of a Senator or any other ordinary Nigerian citizen.
In a statement released Thursday, entitled “Senator Ndume and the Royal Fiefdom of Senate President Bukola Saraki.”, signed by CASER Executive Director, Frank Tietie and obtained by HardReporters in Abuja, stated that the action of the Nigerian Senate was in clear violation of 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.
“CASER has therefore resolved to legally challenge the Nigerian Senate with its leadership if it fails within 48 hours to rescind the suspension of Senator Ali Ndume, the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District.
“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.” the group stated.
CASER, however posited that the action of the Nigerian Senators was a misapplication of Section 21 of the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act stressing that the use of suspension as a means of punishing a perceived erring legislative house member is a very serious matter since it touches on the right of a citizen in a participatory democracy to be represented in governance through the National Assembly.
CASER, noted that the senators ought to have given more consideration to the interest of the people of Borno South by choosing to simply express their reservations on the matter rather than moving to deprive the people of their rights to be represented by suspending the senator representing a people of a senatorial district.
“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 human rights group emphatically opined that the basic rights of Nigerian citizens should be respected at all levels of social strata.
