Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has voiced strong criticism towards the Nigerian Senate for granting approval to acquire a presidential jet and yacht for President Bola Tinubu.
In a post on X, Atiku expressed his dissatisfaction and raised concerns about what he sees as a concerning pattern of the National Assembly, specifically the Senate, acting in a submissive manner towards the executive branch of government.
He lamented the shift in the role of the legislative body, which should serve as a check on the executive and safeguard the interests of the people, but instead appears to be subservient to President Tinubu’s administration.
Atiku Abubakar mentioned the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi, who had raised concerns about budget padding in the 2024 Appropriation Bill. According to Atiku, rather than investigating the allegations, the Senate opted to suspend Senator Ningi.
Likewise, Atiku highlighted the removal of Senator Ali Ndume from his role as Chief Whip after he called on the President to address the urgent matters of hunger and poverty impacting Nigerians.
Atiku stated, “Despite persistent solicitations that government put its priorities on canceling the excruciating hardship in the land and suspend the idea of spending scarce resources on the purchase of new aircraft for the presidential fleet, the Senate took a stand against the people and ignored the voices of altruism by decorating the President with controversial purchases of an aircraft and a yacht amidst the worst material conditions of the average citizen in the history of our country.
“We are, therefore, beginning to see a pattern in which the National Assembly has become an enabler of executive recklessness, and the concerns of the people stand in the nadir of priority list of the legislature.
He further emphasized, “This emerging reality must stop. The health of our democracy is being compromised by this unholy alliance between the executive and the legislature and portends a dictatorship that will worsen the lot of the people.”
