Former Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume on Wednesday tackled Senate President Bukola Saraki during the debate on the 2017 budget.
Ndume had alleged that his name was skipped when the lawmakers were speaking on the budget.
The Senate President had announced at the beginning of the debate that 39 senators had been listed for the exercise for the day.
Ndume raised a Point of Order after Senator Dino Melaye spoke and Saraki called on three senators, John Enoh, Abiodun Olujimi and Adeola Olamilekan to make their contributions.
The Borno Senator stated that he wrote his name after Melaye and may have been skipped.
He said, “My point of order is Order 15. When you announced the debate on the budget, you asked us to write our names and I wrote my name and my name is listed after distinguished Senator Dino Melaye. I was prepared and I was following but I didn’t hear you call my name. So, I don’t know when I will contribute again.”
Saraki however replied that he was following the list with him.
“Senator Ndume, as I sit down here, I didn’t write this list. I take the order in directing the affairs of the chamber and the list I have is the list I am going by. I don’t know about that list, so, follow my list and you will be called in due time. I don’t know the list you are talking about. The only list that matters is the list I have in front of me and I am going with that list,” the Senate President said.
Ndume was recently removed as the Senate Majority Leader.
There were rumours that Senate President Bukola Saraki was involved in his removal.
He has however refuted the reports.
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