By Waliat Musa
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has criticised the recent removal of Senator Ali Ndume as the Senate’s Chief Whip, accusing the Senate, under Godswill Akpabio’s leadership, of curtailing senators’ voices, introducing autocracy and stifling dissent and undermining democratic representation in the Senate.
In a statement, signed by its Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, CISLAC condemned Ndume’s removal, stating that it demonstrated a trend of silencing senators and preventing them from voicing the concerns of the Nigerian people whom they were elected to serve, likening it to autocracy.
The Senate’s actions undermined the constitutional role of its members as representatives of the people at the highest levels of government,” the non-government organisation asserted.
“By restricting senators from expressing national concerns, the Senate risks eroding its mandate and weakening the legislature as an independent arm of government.
Highlighting Ndume’s significant role in the formation of the current Senate leadership and his contributions to governance, CISLAC emphasised that unless a senator violated Senate’s rules or the Constitution, their removal would reflect sycophancy and undermined the Senate’s credibility as an independent body.
