The Leader of the Senate, Sen. Mohammed Ali-Ndume, said on Tuesday that no
amount of protest would force any legislator to resign.
Ndume was reacting to a protest by “Occupy National Assembly” group,
calling for the resignation of the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola
Saraki. Ndume stressed that there was a democratic process of recalling
any senator, adding that protest was not the constitutionally recognised
process.
He described the protest as a “wrong precedence and anti-democratic’’.
“That is why we are not trying to say anything about them because what is
happening out there is a very dangerous precedence that we are trying to
set.
“I contested to represent Borno South. “I did not force myself on my
people and therefore somebody out there, especially the one that did not
elect me cannot force me out because I didn’t come in by force.
“I came in by ballot not by gun, not by placard, I have posters not placards.
“So, if for example, I am short of performance and my constituents feel
that they do not have time to waste, there is a clear cut process by which
they can ask me to be recalled.
“They will collect signatures, ask for me to be recalled, that is the
democratic way, not by coming in here to stand and say you want to occupy
NASS. “You occupy NASS to do what, to be leader or to be senator? It does
not work that way,” he said.
NAN reports that the protesters stormed the National Assembly to demand
the resignation of Saraki.
The protesters; “Occupy National Assembly” also called on the legislators
to conclude all issues on the 2016 budget, return their luxury cars and
cut their N115 billion budget.
However, another group was also on ground to counter the call for Saraki’s
resignation, saying the group calling for his resignation was
anti-Nigeria.