by Azeez Adeniyi

Former Senate majority leader, Ali Ndume has said he would not apologize to Senate President, Bukola Saraki because he didn’t do anything wrong.

Ndume was suspended for six months after demanding for investigations into allegations against Saraki and Dino Melaye.

Saraki was accused of importing an SUV car with fake papers while Melaye was accused of lying about getting a degree from the Ahmadu Bello University.

[Read Also: I HAVE NO POWERS TO REVERSE NDUME’S SUSPENSION – SARAKI]

While speaking to his constituents on Sunday, Ndume said he was suspended because of his support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s policies and calling for the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as EFCC chairman.

He said, “My religion enjoins me to always stand on the path of truth even if I turn around and found that everyone has deserted me.

“Firstly, I know my trouble with them started because of my support for the policies and ideals of President Muhammadu Buhari. Secondly, when Ibrahim Magu’s name was brought to the Senate as nominee for the Chairmanship of EFCC, some group in the senate insisted that he would not be cleared. And in my position as the then Senate Majority leader, it was incumbent upon me to support any nominee sent in by the Executive. Besides that, the same nominee is from my state, Borno; besides, he had committed no offence to be denied the senate clearance.

[Read Also: SARAKI WILL REDUCE YOUR PUNISHMENT IF YOU APOLOGISE, DINO MELAYE TELLS NDUME]

“Above all, the majority of Nigerians loved him because he is doing the job well even as an acting chairman of EFCC.

“Thirdly, when he was brought in for screening and it was not successful, I took courage to tell them that they were acting out of the Senate order.

“And lastly, my position on the allegation levelled on the Senate President as well as the issue of Senator Dino’s certificate by a news medium was the final straw they needed to break the camel’s back.”

He added that the suspension will not stop him from saying the truth at all times.

“I will not remain a Senator for the rest of my life; but for the time I serve as the representative of my people, I shall continue to do and tell the truth. I know if I had erred, I would not have been received here. But I enjoy the support of my people because they know my suspension was because I spoke the truth.

“After seeing the support that I enjoy from Nigerians, the same people that suspended me came to say I should tender an apology so that my suspension could be lifted. But I said no to that because I did not commit any offence in the first place,” he added.