Sacked Senate Chief Whip Reveals Secret Moves He Made Before Calling Tinubu Out

The immediate past Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu is inaccessible to lawmakers and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains.

Ndume, who was replaced as chief whip by Senator Tahir Monguno of Borno North, was removed following his criticism of Tinubu’s administration.

The decision to replace Ndume was based on a directive from the National Chairman of the party, Umar Ganduje, and National Secretary, Senator Bashir Ajibola. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, put the request to a voice vote, which was affirmed by all APC senators.

In an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Ndume reiterated his stance, saying he did not lie about the President’s inaccessibility. He mentioned that despite making several attempts and writing multiple letters to secure a meeting with Tinubu, he never had the opportunity to speak with him.

Ndume said, “One of the major issues that led to my removal as Chief Whip was my complaint that the President is not very accessible. If he were accessible, we could have discussed these issues privately. I made several efforts to meet with him, but I didn’t get the chance.”

He added that he harbors no grudge over the lack of communication but emphasized the importance of addressing security challenges collectively. Ndume noted improvements in security in certain areas but highlighted ongoing issues in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, and Kaduna.

“Security is a collective matter. Everyone should speak out and take action to address it. We must stop deceiving ourselves that it’s over, as that hinders progress,” Ndume stated. He acknowledged the government’s efforts and investments in security, citing improvements in his hometown of Gwoza.