Ali Ndume has broken the silence on his removal as the 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 on Friday 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.
‘I stand by my statements’
“I did not say anything wrong. And therefore I want to state that I stand by all my statements in the interview I granted,” the senator insisted.
“So, I know that I’m not wrong. The people are not wrong by speaking the truth and standing by the truth,” the 64-year-old.
“And I pray that the president who by now, I expect the message should have gotten to him, looks at what I have said and takes appropriate measures to eliminate the suffering of the people.”
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.
“Secondly, the party that recommended to the Senate that I should be removed from being the chief whip of the Senate, I take that as an act of God because if it is God who gave me that position. It is God that took it through APC. So, I bear no grudges about that,” Ndume said.
“After all, I did not contest to be the chief whip. I did not contest to be the vice chairman of the appropriation committee. I contested to be the se one of the Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and God granted me that victory and I’m happy with God, what God has given to me.”
‘I’m not interested’
“So, I’m not interested in accepting the committee on tourism for the two reasons I told you,” the Borno South lawmaker said.
“I told you I’m inexperienced in that. I don’t know anything, I’m not knowledgeable about tourism. So, I would, if any, prefer to remain as an ordinary member so that I can learn about tourism.”
On the charge to resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the senator said he is a founding member of the party.
According to him, he was one of the twenty-two 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.
“So, I’m not a new member. I didn’t join APC just like that. It was in consultation with my people that I joined APC. I take his advice and I will get, I know across to my people,” the lawmaker said.
Senator Ndume said he could not speak up immediately after his sack because he was mourning the death of a family member.
