By Nuel Suji – The Senate Tuesday recalled the suspended former Senate Leader, Muhammed Ali Ndume after serving his term of suspension for 90 legislative days from 30th March 2017 to November 14, 2017.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who presided over Tuesday’s session announced the lifting of the suspension after a closed-door session, which lasted almost 15 minutes.
“The senate at the closed-door session resolved to allow Senator Ndume resume sitting in the Senate from tomorrow (November 15, 2017) after serving the 90 legislative days suspension slammed on him on the 29th of March this year without prejudice to the current court processes,” Mr. Ekweremadu said.
The Senate action is coming on the heels of an Abuja Federal High Court order nullifying the suspension.
The court had on Friday quashed the Senate suspension, calling for his immediate reinstatement and payment of his outstanding salaries and allowances by the Senate.
The Senate through its counsel Mike Ozekhome said it would file an appeal against the High Court judgement arguing that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the case in the first place.
Addressing newsmen last Friday, Ndume affirmed that the Senate had through its Clerk, Nelson Ayewoh written him to resume today.
“The judgement to me is a welcome development in the sense that I never believed the Senate acted right in the first place as far as the suspension was concerned.
“Now that the Court has nullified it, in the eye of the law, I was never suspended, meaning that all monies due to me during the period must be paid to me.
“Though the court also ordered for my immediate reinstatement but before the ruling, the Senate had communicated to me to that effect through a letter from the Clerk of the Senate. So, ruling or no ruling, am resuming to the Senate on Wednesday next week (today)”, he said.
Ndume was suspended for drawing the attention of the Senate to separate allegations leveled against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Senator Dino Melaye by an online medium in March this year.
