The national president of Al-Mushahid Initiative for Transparency and Accountability (AITA), Majidadi, has denounced the removal of Senator Ali Ndume as unconstitutional and entirely unacceptable.
Speaking at AITA’s headquarters in Abuja, Amb. Aminu Majidadi condemned the decision to strip Ndume of his role as the Chief Whip of the Senate, asserting that voicing one’s opinion should not result in such punitive actions. He stated, “It is not a crime to express one’s views, and this should not lead to victimization by the elite.”
Majidadi emphasized that AITA stands firmly against Ndume’s removal, arguing that the chairman of the leading party, Abdullahi Ganduje, lacks the authority to request the Senate to remove the Chief Whip. He warned that this precedent could enable other parties to remove elected officials without due process.
He pointed out that Ndume’s remarks about severe corruption within the current administration should have been investigated by a Senate committee rather than leading to his removal. “Ndume’s comments on corruption affecting the common man warrant a thorough investigation, not summary dismissal,” Majidadi added.
Highlighting the pressing issues of rising living costs, increasing food prices, and growing suicide rates among those unable to provide for their families, Majidadi argued that Ndume was speaking out for the masses. “Ndume should be applauded for being a voice for the people,” he said.
Majidadi also called on the government to remember their accountability to the electorate, stressing the need for solutions to kidnapping, terrorism, and food inflation. He urged for closer monitoring of the tax on food importation to ensure its effectiveness.
On Wednesday, the Senate removed Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, as Chief Whip and replaced him with Senator Tahir Monguno of Borno North. This decision followed a request from the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This marks the second time Ndume has been removed from a principal position in the Senate. In 2017, he was ousted as Senate Leader by the eighth Senate under Senator Bukola Saraki.
The NWC, in a letter co-signed by Ganduje and National Secretary Ajibola Basiru, accused Ndume of misusing his position through “unguarded utterances and outbursts” against the Federal Government, particularly targeting President Bola Tinubu. The letter described Ndume as a “mole” within the party and suggested he resign from the APC.
The letter stated, “His rabid outbursts against the government harm the government’s image and undermine the party’s unity. His latest tirade, referring to the government as run by thieves, portrays him as intent on running the country down.”
Following the Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s reading of the letter, the APC senators voted to accept the NWC’s request. Ndume was also stripped of his vice-chairmanship of the Appropriation Committee and reassigned as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tourism.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Front (TDF), a civil society organization, praised the Senate’s decision. In a statement co-signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, TDF criticized Ndume for his controversial remarks against Tinubu and the APC-led government, labeling his actions as “pedestrian irresponsibility.”
TDF urged the APC to expel Ndume for his disloyalty, arguing that his presence in the party would be detrimental. They called on Monguno to avoid Ndume’s self-serving tactics and represent the party and President Tinubu faithfully.
