Senate recalls Ali Ndume

•Senators disagree over appeal
Following the expiration of his suspension, the Senate has recalled its former leader Mohammed Ali Ndume.
Also, some Senators have disagreed with the chamber’s counsel, Mike Ozekhome(SAN) for proceeding on appeal against the High Court judgment that declared Ndume’s suspension illegal without the resolution of members.
Ozekhome has filed a notice of appeal against Friday’s judgment of Justice Babatunde Quadri of the Federal High Court, Abuja which declared Ndume’s suspension as illegal, null and void.
According to a letter by Clerk to the Senate Nelson Ayewoh, Ndume is expected to resume in plenary tomorrow.
But barely 72 hours after the reinstatement of Ndume by the Federal High Court, Abuja, Chief Mike Ozekhome(SAN) , who is the counsel to the Senate filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal(Abuja Division).
The appellants are Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges Sen. Samuel Anyanwu.
There were indications that many Senators do not want the case against Ndume to drag to the Appellate Court.
A ranking Senator said: “So far, we have not agreed at the Executive Session to go to the Court of Appeal on this matter. We are all war wearied, we want peace now, we are tired of any row among us.
“Even the High Court refused to award cost in the spirit of engendering peace and harmony in the Senate. We will prefer to broker peace between the Senate President and Ndume.”
Another Senator from the South-East said: “I think our counsel was only acting on the basis of law but we will rather proffer political solution to the judgment of the High Court. It is not every time you go to court.”
A third Senator said: “Going to the Court of Appeal may compound the situation. Some of us have just discovered that our counsel once filed a suit in court against the Senate when Sen. Arthur Nzeribe was suspended. We believe it is wrong of him now to be defending the suspension of a Senator. You cannot approbate and reprobate in law.
“I will advise the President of the Senate to be magnanimous and toe the path of peace and reconciliation which had been initiated by leaders from APC and Borno State.”
A Senator from North-Central said: “I think we need to test the law to its logical conclusion on the powers of the Senate to exercise disciplinary control on its members. But we have not met to decide whether or not we should go on appeal.”
|The Nation