Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South, said on Thursday that lawmakers have lost the trust of the public due to their lack of performance.
Ndume made the statement during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He pointed out that, following the 2023 general elections, only 25 of the senators from the ninth National Assembly were re-elected to the upper chamber.
The former Senate Chief Whip stressed the need to protect the integrity of the legislature, emphasizing that any deviation from the public’s expectations would be a breach of the trust placed in lawmakers.
“It is not about these reforms but I am concerned, that institution is supposed to be protected,” he said.
“Out of 109 of us, only 25 of us made it back to the Senate. It means we have lost the confidence of the people. Out of those that didn’t come back, almost all wanted to come back except for few that wanted to be governors.
“Instead of sticking to what is true and right, if you deviate for whatever reason will be tantamount to the confidence given to you by the people.”
He also commented on the dramatic events that unfolded in the Senate concerning the tax reform bills proposed by President Bola Tinubu in October.
On Wednesday, there was an uproar in the Senate after Senator Ndume objected to the entrance of Zacch Adedeji, the chair of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), into the chamber.
Adedeji’s briefing was not listed in the Senate’s order paper, which led Opeyemi Bamidele, the majority leader, to move a motion to suspend Senate rules.
In response, Ndume referred to the Senate’s rules, asserting that visitors were not permitted to address the chamber if the item was not included in the order paper.
The following day, Ndume criticized the incident, calling it an ambush.
When asked if it was listed on the day’s proceedings, he said: “That is why I raised the matter. If not, why not?”
“Zacch and Taiwo Oyedele, brilliant guys, I respect them for their intellect but not the way they are doing this thing,” he added.
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