Lawmakers Already Buying Positions In Senate, House Of Reps With Dollars –Senator Ndume Says

 

The Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Senator Ali Ndume has claimed that politicians have started “buying” positions, particularly in the leadership of the coming 10th National Assembly.

 Senator Ndume made the claim on Sunday night while featuring on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics.

Ndume, who declared interest in becoming the next Senate President during the programme, said that Nigerian politics has been monetised to the point that those who have more money win positions they go for, saying that it is now clear that if he had money in 2019, he would have won the Senate President seat.

Ndume, who is representing Borno South Senatorial District on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), recalled that he has been in the Senate for the past 20 years and pushed for an “Unexplained Wealth Act” to deal with corrupt politicians with suspicious wealth.

According to him, there are civil servants in the country who are living luxurious lives above their earnings, adding that the “Unexplained Wealth Act” will make people live within the limits of their salaries and earnings.

Ndume said, “In lawmaking, there is no library, there is no handover notes for you to refer to, that means we are starting from scratch.

“Because I have been there for the past 20 years, some people are now saying, you have been there for a long time, that is why you need to go, and it is like Nigerian politics is being turned to something that is turn by turn. It is a very bad precedence.

“I see people coming to the National Assembly with nothing and suddenly because they spent years in the National Assembly they become rich. Something is wrong. You see civil servants living in houses worth billions, nobody asks questions.

“There should be ‘Unexplained Wealth Act’ so that if you display wealth that is not in tandem with your income, you should be investigated and (the wealth) confiscated and if it is extensive, you should be prosecuted.

“Now you see what is happening. They are trying to buy the position. The position in the leadership in this country is becoming those that belong to kleptocrats and plutocrats. Democracy is no longer there.

“They are buying it already. Didn’t you hear the accusation that they are sharing money? And I was even thinking in the last election, if I had more money, I would have won. I don’t have money.”

“They send some dollars to other colleagues. I heard it but I have not seen any dollar yet. I think a senator should be more than that.”

With the APC winning a majority of the legislative seats during the 2023 general elections with over 55 Senate seats out of 109 and over 160 out of 360 House of Representatives seats, many APC chieftains and lawmakers have publicly expressed interest in becoming the Senate President in the yet-to-be inaugurated 10th National Assembly.

The Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Kalu has claimed that it is his turn to be Senate President but other senators including Senators Jibrin Barau, Godswill Akpabio, Dave Umahi, the incumbent Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Abdulaziz Yari, Osita Izunaso, and Ndume have also indicated an interest in the position.