Borno South Senator Ali Ndume has publicly addressed his recent dismissal as the Chief Whip of the Senate in the 10th Assembly, expressing that he was unfairly treated and that his actions did not warrant his removal from the position. The outspoken lawmaker shared his views during a press conference in his hometown of Maiduguri on Friday.
Ndume also rejected the offer to chair the Senate Committee on Tourism, a position announced by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday. He argued that he lacks the necessary experience and exposure to lead such a sensitive committee.
The senator revealed that he never sought the role of Senate whip, having previously served as Senate leader in the eighth assembly. He disclosed that he was offered the opportunity to choose a committee vice-chairmanship role after successfully leading the campaigns that resulted in Godswill Akpabio’s emergence as Senate President.
Regarding suggestions from his party to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ndume reaffirmed his commitment to the party as a founding member. He recounted that he was one of twenty-two senators who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form the APC, at a time when current national chairman Abdullahi Ganduje was a deputy governor in Kano State.
Ndume explained that when former President Muhammadu Buhari and current President Bola Tinubu requested him to sign a document to join the APC at the Imo House in Abuja, he consulted with his constituents before making his decision public. He emphasized that he would continue to consult with his people before deciding whether to leave the APC.
