Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, says the 8th Assembly belongs to his party, the All Progressives Congress, and as such, the Peoples Democratic Party, cannot thwart the ministerial screening of Rotimi Amaechi.

The former governor of Rivers state is scheduled to be screened by the Senate on Thursday, October 22.

Senators of the PDP are believed to be antagonistic to the success of Amaechi’s screening, owing to the role he played in the mass defection of key members of the opposition party.

Ali Ndume, however said on Wednesday, that the PDP is in minority in the senate, hence, it cannot disqualify Amaechi, or scuttle the process.

The Senate leader said Amaechi has not been convicted by any court of law, and consequently, should treated like other ministerial nominees.

Ndume said: “The Ethics and Privileges report is not the determinant of Amaechi’s fate. It is the Senate. Even if they write their report, it has to be laid before the Senate which will decide on the report. It is not the report that will decide the fate of Amaechi.

“Whatever the Committee recommends to the Senate, it is the Senate that will decide. And I have told Nigerians several times that this Senate belongs to APC. We have PDP senators that are in the minority.

We are practising democracy in a changed environment. That is to allow the minorities to have their say. But you know that the majority will always have its way. We have 58 senators, the Senate President excluded, and they have 48 Senators.”

“And Amaechi is an APC candidate and the constitution is very clear. Until there is conviction, you are considered innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt by a competent court of law.

Unfortunately, you cannot confirm or disqualify Amaechi, we are the only ones that can do that. And PDP cannot disqualify Amaechi based on triviality. It must be based on constitutionality.”