The Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume has been relieved of his position on Wednesday by the senate for criticising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. The decision was announced by the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio after a majority of the senators supported the motion during the plenary.
The apex legislative body replaced Mr Ndume, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Borno South Senatorial District with Tahir Monguno representing Borno North.
It was revealed that a letter was received from Abdullahi Ganduje, the national chairman of the APC, and Bashir Ajibola, the party secretary, which the senate president read during the plenary.
The National leaders had recommended in the letter that Mr Ndume be sacked from his post in the house because of his “unguarded utterances” that are “against the federal government.”
Mr Ndume was reportedly described as “someone who is bent on dividing the country” and giving the country a negative light in the international community.
Mr Monguno was then recommended to replace Mr Ndume in his position.
The Senate president put it to vote after reading the letter and the senators voted tremendously in support of it. The Senate President approved the recommendation and directed the Sergeant at Arms to walk Mr Monguno to the seat of the senate whip at the front row.
Last week, Mr Ndume had mentioned to journalists that President Tinubu is being “caged” in the Presidential Villa and that some forces are preventing well-meaning people from physically discussing the truth with him. He also mentioned that the situation did not allow the president to know that many Nigerians are hungry.
Does the APC National Chairman have influences in the Senate? The actions of the plenary concerning the utterances of the Chief Whip makes one wonder if there is actually freedom of speech in the country.
