SENATE leader, Muhammed Ali Ndume, on Thursday, who confirmed his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari and the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, said his visits to the duo should not attract undue attraction.
The Senate leader said his visit to the Villa had nothing to do with the leadership crisis rocking the Senate.
He said the Senate had put the issue of the leadership tussle behind it, adding that the chamber was concentrating on how to support the Buhari-led administration to tackle the various problems confronting the nation.
The senator also said his visit to Tinubu was not strange, adding that Buhari and Tinubu were his mentors in politics.
“On my reported visit to Buhari, I am the leader of the eighth Senate. My duties include leading the legislative business of the Senate; preparing schedules of the Senate and liaising with other committees.
“I am supposed to be the presenter of all government’s bills to the presidency, in fact, I am supposed to be at the Villa almost everyday. My going to Villa is not supposed to be a big deal.
“Yes, there are some issues we had after the inauguration of the Senate leadership and all that, but as you can see, we have put all those issues behind us.
“The president has communicated several times to the Senate. To whom did he address the letter? He writes not only to the Senate president, but he puts Bukola Saraki. We have moved beyond that.
“Of course I go to the Villa frequently, because we compare notes on bills that are going to come, including on these relationships,” he said.
He also added that nothing should stop individual senators from visiting the Presidential Villa and having personal discussions with the president.
“A newspaper reported (Wednesday) when I was seen at Asiwaju’s place. Asiwaju is one of my mentors and, of course, the president, too. I have two political mentors: the president and Asiwaju himself.
“We have been with this president hoping for his presidency from 2003 in APP before it became ANPP. So, I am not a stranger to Buhari. I have been visiting him in Kaduna occasionally to interact with him.
“I have been going there before now for the past 12 years. So, my going to the Villa is not a new thing and so also is my visit to Tinubu. He is one of the people I respect and appreciate,” he said.
Ndume also noted that the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions committed some procedural errors in its probe of chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde, which he said were being resolved.
Ndume said the whole hue and cry over the probe of Lamorde was unnecessary, because the fate of the report to be submitted to the Senate would eventually be decided by senators in plenary.
He, however, assured Nigerians that necessary things would be put in place to correct the flaws.
