Senators Ndume, Melaye, others in closed door meeting with Osinbajo

The Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, on Tuesday led his colleagues, Dino Melaye and Monsurat Sumonu, among others to meet with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
At the end of the closed door session, Ndume told State House correspondents that there was no big deal about the parley.
He however said the meeting reviewed some developments in the polity, including the issue of the 2016 budget currently before the National Assembly.
He said: “This government is our government.
“I am the Senate Leader in this government.
“So my coming here today is not supposed to be a new thing.
“My coming here should even be more regular.
“This is not the first time we are coming here.
“But this is the first time we are having the Vice President as acting President.
“That is one of the reasons why we are here.
“This is because we are setting a new example.
“During the previous government, the President will just go and leave the place blank.
“But this time around when our President goes for a few days, he transmitted to all Nigerians that the Vice President is to act as the President.
“So we came for the regular consultation.
“There is nothing new about it and we will be doing more of this.
“You should expect me to be coming here.
“Now we have the budget as work in progress.
“We have the new Money Laundering Bill before the Senate, we have many things we are looking at.
“We have come to come and consult on these.”
Ndume said the issue of the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who is standing trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, was not discussed at the meeting as people may want to insinuate.
He said: “It is not new for people to read meaning.
“Are you saying that the Senate President should be convicted before the trial?
“In our constitution, you are considered innocent until proven guilty.”