Ali Ndume has spoken out about his removal as the Chief Whip of the Senate, asserting that his actions did not warrant his dismissal. Ndume was removed from his position following his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Two days after his removal, Ndume also declined the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Tourism, citing his lack of experience and exposure in that area. Speaking from his hometown of Maiduguri on Friday, Ndume said he never aspired to be the Senate Chief Whip, especially after serving as the Senate leader in the eighth Senate.
He mentioned that he was given the opportunity to choose which committee to serve as vice chairman, having successfully led the campaigns for the emergence of Godswill Akpabio as Senate President.
Regarding calls for his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ndume emphasized that he is a founding member of the party. He recalled being one of the twenty-two senators who defected from the PDP to form the APC when the current national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, was still a deputy governor in Kano State.
Ndume shared that when former President Muhammadu Buhari, accompanied by President Bola Tinubu, asked him to join the APC at the Imo House in Abuja, he consulted his constituents before making his decision public. He stated that he would again consult his people before making any decisions about leaving the APC.
Ndume also explained that he did not speak out immediately after his removal because he was mourning the death of a family member.