Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, had on Tuesday unveiled his agenda as a candidate for the Senate Presidency in the 9th National Assembly.
Ndume’s action came despite President Muhammadu Buhari, and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, throwing their weight behind the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, as the Senate president.
The Senator representing Borno South noted in his manifesto that he would improve upon the performance of the 8th Senate.
He also pledged to make the office of the Senate President less attractive by reducing the unnecessary privileges attached to it.
Ndume promised to uphold the independence of the legislature and expressed his willingness to “work harmoniously and inter-dependently with the executive without undermining the principle of separation of powers.”
He added that he would prioritise and ensure the passage of the Constituency Development Bill to make “constituency projects more transparent, accountable, efficient and effective.”
According to him, under his leadership, the Senate would agree on timelines for confirmation, passage of bills especially the annual budgets, which he said, would not exceed 90 days from the day of submission.
Ndume added, “We will make laws that will block leakages devise improved means of generating revenue, especially through the amendment and review of our tax laws which will help to reduce reliance on local and foreign loans to finance budget.
“We will run the 9th Senate transparently, through open accountability with full participation of all senators .For example, we will transfer the approving powers of the privileges of the senators like foreign travels, allowances to Senate services committee or a new committee to be known as “ways and means committee.”
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He affirmed that he would uphold the party’s principles and policies, adding that the Senate under him would make laws and review existing ones in tandem with the APC’s Next Level agenda for Nigeria.
The APC national chairman had, during House of Representatives members-elect last week, said the party had endorsed Lawan as the Senate president.
However, Ndume berated Oshiomhole, adding that the chairman unilaterally picked Lawan without the backing of the party.
But speaking on Ndume’s moves, the spokesman for the APC, Lanre Isa-Onilu, however, faulted the former majority leader, saying, “The ticket he (Ndume) is holding belongs to the APC and he cannot go and work with the opposition to give what belongs to the APC to the opposition, like it happened in 2015 when the position of the Deputy Senate President was given to the opposition by some desperate former members of the APC.
“Ndume will be wrong to be calling out the party’s national chairman. The national chairman spoke on behalf of the party. And when we talk of the party in this instance, it is not just about the NWC.
“The President (Muhammadu Buhari) was there when he said it. He did not say anything that the President was not aware of. He did not say anything that the leaders of the APC are not already part of.”