Ndume: My removal as senate chief whip an act of God | I stand by all my statements

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, says he stands by his comments made in a recent interview granted to Arise Television.

During the interview, the former chief whip of the senate alleged that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is populated by kleptocrats.

Following his comments, Ndume was removed as chief whip of the senate by the All Progressives Congress (APC). The party also asked the lawmaker to resign as its member.

Speaking during an interview in Abuja on Friday, Ndume said he said nothing wrong, noting that his removal as the chief whip of the senate was an “act of God”.

Thereafter, Senate President Godswill Akpabio removed the lawmaker as the vice-chairman of the appropriation panel and appointed him to head the senate committee on tourism.

Speaking on the incident for the first time, Ndume said he reviewed his interview and also got feedback from friends and elders but was told that he did not say anything that is not true.

“I have reviewed the interview I granted. I also shared with friends, leaders, elders in this country to review and get back to me to tell me if I have said anything that is not true or that is wrong in that interview,” he said.

“Unanimously, the people I shared with and my conviction too, tell me that I didn’t do anything wrong, I did not say anything wrong and therefore, I want to state that I stand with all my statements in the interview I granted.

“The party that recommended me to be removed as being the chief whip of the senate, I take that as an act of God.

“It is God that gave me that position, and it is God that took that through APC, so I bear no grudges.”

Ndume rejected his new appointment in the upper legislative chamber.

“I learnt that I have been appointed chairman of tourism. I want to state here that I beg to decline for two reasons,” he said.

“You must do something that you are interested in, I’m not a tourist, I don’t have a visa to any country as I am speaking to you.

“I have never been to China, India, or France except America where I schooled, and London I used to go, but even at that, I can’t remember going to any of these countries.

“I’m not experienced in that. I would prefer to be an ordinary member; besides I have committees that I’m already content with.”