Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, has raised serious concerns about what he describes as the diminishing democratic role of Nigeria's National Assembly, particularly the Senate.
Speaking during a recent interview on Arise Television, Ndume lamented that the Senate has transformed into an institution that merely rubber-stamps executive decisions without proper deliberation.
Senate Abandoning Constitutional Role
"It has become less democratic, and it is very unfortunate. If you look at what the National Assembly historically is built on, the Senate, particularly, is supposed to be a house of deliberation where people will deliberate on policies, actions and spending of government," Ndume stated.
The senator, who is one of the longest-serving members of the upper chamber, expressed frustration that the constitutional separation of powers appears to be eroding. "We're not doing that anymore; we're now more of an approving institution, just giving necessary and unnecessary support to the executive," he added.
Ndume further emphasized that "The division of executive, legislature and judiciary is no longer there; government, to an extent, now has been personalised and privatised."
The senator also revealed his personal concern about being kept in the dark regarding proceedings in the chamber, suggesting a lack of transparency even among lawmakers themselves.
ECOWAS Diplomatic Failure
During the same interview, Ndume addressed the recent withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), describing it as a significant diplomatic failure for Nigeria and President Bola Tinubu, who recently handed over leadership of the regional bloc to Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio.
The senator suggested that intervention from Nigerian elder statesmen such as former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Yakubu Gowon, and Abdulsalami Abubakar might have prevented the exit of these three West African nations from the regional body.
Ndume's comments come at a time when many Nigerians are questioning the effectiveness of the country's democratic institutions amid growing economic challenges and security concerns.
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