Senate Presidency: It’s ‘Cash And Carry,’ Ndume Accuses Colleagues Of ‘Votes Buying’

Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, on Tuesday, accused some aspirants vying for the Senate presidency of lobbying their counterparts into accepting huge sums of money in exchange for votes.

“There is vote-buying. Votes that are being bought do not end with the masses, it goes beyond that. Even a senator’s vote is up for sale,” Ndume said in a BBC Hausa interview on Tuesday.

Although it is common knowledge that politicking had begun in both chambers of the National Assembly to elect principal officers in the 10th NASS, Ndume said many aspirants have resorted to money politics.

The PUNCH reports that aspirants for the top Senate and House of Representatives positions begin declaring interest in their choice positions since lawmakers resumed from election break on March 14.

Some notable individuals who have expressed interest in being president of the 10th Senate include Senators-elect Ali Ndume (Borno), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Orji Kalu (Abia), Jibrin Barau (Kano) and Mohammed Musa (Niger), among others.

Apart from the Senate presidency, positions such as the deputy Senate president and Speaker of the House of Representatives are up for grabs.

Source: Punch