Former Senate Chief Whip Senator Ali Ndume has expressed regret to the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) for not consulting the party before publicly accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government of maladministration.
Nevertheless, Ndume, who represents Borno South in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, has reaffirmed his stance, emphasising that everything he said or did was motivated by patriotism.
“Yesterday I was invited by the party and here I am to discuss family matters with what has happened which you are all aware, actually the national chairman is not just a national chairman to me but a father,” the lawmaker said.
“It is not surprising that I was invited to hear my side, and we had family discussions. As a last point, I accepted the mistake of not talking to the party and promised the party that all my observations as a senior member of the family should have terminated or ended with the party.
“But whatever I said or whatever I did was out of patriotism, and those issues may be said strong, but they are true, but then I should have talked to the party as the last bus stop.” Ndume insisted.
The senator was replaced with Senator Mohmed Monguno after the ruling party sent a letter to penalise the legislator for his provocative and reckless remarks against the President.
In the letter signed jointly by the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, the party instructed the upper chamber to penalise the legislator, who is a senior leader of the party, for intentionally neglecting to use the party’s internal processes to express his grievances before making them public.
Ndume alleged in an interview with BBC Hausa Service that forces in the Presidential Villa held President Bola Tinubu captive. According to the senator, these forces have fed the President with lies and prevented well-meaning Nigerians from reaching him with the truth.
Because of his criticism, he was removed from his positions as principal officer in the National Assembly and as committee chairman.