Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South in the Senate, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of failing to uphold the federal character principle in his political appointments, in what he described as a violation of the Nigerian Constitution.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Monday, Ndume argued that the appointments made so far by the president do not reflect the diversity of the country as required by law.
He referenced Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates that appointments should fairly represent the various regions of the federation.
“The figures are there. You can look at the figures. I sent you one. I sent you figures. It’s not that I’m just making accusations. And it’s not that I’m saying, well, the president has no right to do that kind of thing. But it’s a constitutional provision. Section 13, I mean, Section 14 (3) of the constitution is very, very clear,” he said.
The senator maintained that the appointments made so far by the current administration fall short of this constitutional requirement.
“When you look at it vis-a-vis the appointments made so far, and there are political appointments, the constitution is very clear. It is because of avoiding such infractions that the constitution clearly states that appointments, especially political appointments, should reflect the federal character, and that is not the case here.
“And all I am saying is to call the attention of Mr President to such infractions so that it can be corrected; otherwise, you know, these things can boomerang at a certain period of time”, Ndume stated.
He stressed that his criticism should not be viewed as a personal attack on President Tinubu but as part of his constitutional duty as a legislator.
“I know, as you rightly say, people look at me as somebody that is critical of the government. I have the right to do that in the first place. And in fact, that’s why I’m in the National Assembly in the first place.
“Collectively, we are supposed to oversight the acts of Mr President and point out some of these irregularities. That is what we swore to do. It’s not personal”, he added.
Anticipating a possible backlash for his remarks, the senator stood his ground and insisted on his right to speak out.
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“Each one of us will stand before God, and God will ask him to account for what he is responsible for. Besides, we are all in this government. What will we tell our people? When you have these figures out, it is already viral, it is already in circulation.
“But you know what, after this interview, those attack dogs or maga-dogs will start attacking Ndume, not the message.
“It is not about Ndume or me being a senator. As a Nigerian, I have the right to voice out all these things. Not only that, I have the right to even protest. I have the right. That is guaranteed by the constitution. But from tomorrow, those so-called Tinubu boys or people will start attacking Ndume. These are the facts”, the lawmaker said.
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