Ali Ndume has broken his silence on his resignation as Senate Chief Whip, stating that after reviewing the conversation that led his ouster, his actions did not justify his dismissal.
Ndume was ousted as Senate Chief Whip after criticising the President Bola Tinubu administration’s leadership of the nation. About two days after the vote, the senator said that he has denied the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Tourism, citing a lack of experience and exposure to leading such a delicate body.
The Borno South legislator claimed this in his hometown of Maiduguri on Friday, nearly 48 hours after being dismissed as Senate Chief Whip. Ndume stated that he never intended to be a senate whip after serving as the leader of the eight Senate.
‘I stand by my statements.’
“I said nothing wrong. As a result, I want to state unequivocally that I stand by every remark I made during the interview,” 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’
“I’m not interested in accepting the committee on tourism for two reasons,” said the Borno South lawmaker. “First, I’m inexperienced in that area. I don’t know anything about tourism. I’d prefer to remain an ordinary member so I can learn about it.”
Regarding calls to resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the senator emphasized his deep-rooted connection to the party. He recounted being one of the twenty-two senators who left the PDP to form the APC, alongside the current national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, who was then the deputy governor of Kano State.
He recalled a significant moment when former President Muhammadu Buhari, accompanied by President Bola Tinubu, asked him to sign a document to join the APC at the Imo House in Abuja. Before doing so, he consulted with his constituents and went public with the decision.
“I’m not a new member,” he stated. “I didn’t join the APC on a whim. It was after consulting with my people that I made the switch. I value their advice and will consult them again before making any decisions about leaving the APC.”-
Senator Ndume explained that his initial silence following his dismissal was due to mourning the death of a family member.