Ndume: Senate appeals judgment nullifying senator’s suspension

The Senate had on March 30 suspended Ndume, a former Majority Leader for 90 legislative days for not “conducting due diligence” before filing a petition against Senate President Bukola Saraki and the lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye. Ndume was indicted “for bringing Senator Dino Melaye, his colleague, and the institution of the Senate to unbearable disrepute.” Chairman Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, made the recommendation for Ndume’s suspension in its report, which was considered by the lawmakers at the plenary. Not satisfied by his suspension, Ndume headed to court to challenge his six months suspension. Joined as defendants in the suit were the President of the Senate; the Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria and Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions). Delivering ruling in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/551/2017, yesterday Justice Babatunde Quadri set aside the suspension and consequently ordered Ndume’s reinstatement into the Senate. The court held that: “The suspension of the plaintiff is hereby declared illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional. The purported suspension contained in the letter of March 30, 2017 is hereby set aside. The 1st and 2nd defendants are hereby directed to pay the plaintiff his outstanding salaries and allowances forthwith.” However, the court declined to grant relief 5, which prayed for an order for payment of N500 million to Ndume as general, exemplary and aggravated damages he incurred as a result of the six months suspension. In the same vein, Ndume while speaking with journalists in Abuja yesterday, said: “I am just from court and I thank God that the court has declared my suspension unconstitutional, illegal, null and void. I approached the court for declaratory judgement and I got the judgment today. So, that nullifies my suspension which hitherto and ab-initio I had said was illegal. “First of all, there was no cause for me to be suspended because I did not do anything that could have warranted my suspension in the first place.” Meanwhile, counsel to the Senate, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), revealed this in a statement issued in Abuja, last night, that the Senate respectfully disagreed with the judgement. He said: “For the records, the Senate had challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to entertain the matter on several grounds, portions of which are outlined hereunder for the purpose of emphasis as follows: “That the plaintiff wrongly joined several causes of action in his Originating Summons. “That an action for the enforcement of fundamental rights to fair hearing can only be brought against a court or a tribunal, established by law as held by the Supreme Court in several current cases, and not against Committee of a legislative body.”]]>