PDP Senators can’t stop ex-governor – Ndume

The ministerial screening of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi has been surrounded by controversy following three postponements of same by the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ali Ndume has however said that his colleagues from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot stop Amaechi as his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) occupies majority of the seats in the legislative chamber.

Ndume made the comments on Wednesday, October 21, 2015, while speaking to journalists in Abuja.

“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,” Ndume said.

“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,” he added.

The Senate is expected to screen Amaechi today, October 22, upon resumption of plenary.