APC removes Ndume as chief whip of senate

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday asked Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, to resign from the party.

The party also asked the senator to vacate his position as chief whip of the senate.

The APC made the requests in a letter sent to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The letter was read on the floor of the upper legislative chamber during plenary.

Abdullahi Ganduje, national chair of the APC; and Ajibola Basiru, national secretary of the party; nominated Tahir Monguno, senator representing Borno north, to take Ndume’s place.

The APC accused Ndume of making hurtful comments against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“You have been making uncouth and rabid outbursts against the government before the international community which is not only harmful to the government’s image, but its effort to bring in foreign direct investments (FDIs),” the letter reads.

“We are of the opinion that Mohammed Tahir Monguno should immediately replace senator Ali Ndume who is bent on bringing down the country as the majority whip of the senate.”

Thereafter, Akpabio announced Ndume as chair of the senate committee on tourism.

Adeniyi Adegbonmire, senator representing Ondo central, was named new chair of judiciary and legal matters.

Monguno was chairing the legal committee before his nomination as chief whip.

REMARKS THAT GOT NDUME IN TROUBLE

In an interview with BBC Hausa on July 10, Ndume had alleged that some ministers and lawmakers can no longer reach Tinubu to relay the prevailing economic hardship and hunger in the land.

“The major problem with this government is that its doors are closed, to the extent that even some ministers cannot see the president,” he had said.

“Not to mention members of the national assembly who do not have the opportunity to meet with him and discuss the issues affecting their constituencies.”

Ndume repeated the claim in an interview with Arise TV on July 12, where he had alleged that ex-President Muhammadu Buhari was a more accessible leader.

Ndume accused aides of the president of “shielding and fencing in” their principal from lawmakers and ministers.