Ndume: I Stand By My Statements, Rejects Senate Committee Chairmanship

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Senator Ali Ndume has commented over his removal as Chief Whip of the Senate, saying, having reviewed the conversation that prompted his ouster, his action did not warrant his sack.

Ndume, was removed as the Senate Chief Whip after his criticism of the President Bola Tinubu government’s handling of the nation.

About two days after the decision, the lawmaker said he has also declined the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Tourism, arguing that he lacks the experience and exposure to lead such a sensitive group.

 The Borno South-lawmaker said this in his country home of Maiduguri yesterday, about 48 hours after he was removed as the Senate Chief Whip. 

Ndume said that he never wanted to be a Senate Whip after serving as the leader in the eight Senate.

The lawmaker said he was given the chance to choose which committee to serve as the vice chairman having successfully led the campaigns that brought about the emergence of Godwill Akpabio as president of the Senate.

On the charge to resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Senator said he was a founding member of the party.

 According to him, he was one of the 22 Senators from the PDP that formed the APC when the current National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, was a deputy governor in Kano State.

He, however, stated that when former President Muhammadu Buhari in the company of President Bola Tinubu ordered him to sign a document to join APC at the Imo House in Abuja, he informed his people before going public as such, he would consult his people before deciding on whether to leave the APC or not.

Ndume said he could not speak up immediately after his sack because he was mourning the death of a family member.