Senator Mohamed Ali Ndume (Borno South) has been removed from his position as Chief Whip by the Senate. The decision was endorsed by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senate Caucus through a voice vote, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during the Wednesday plenary session. Tahir Mungono (Borno North) has been appointed as Ndume’s replacement.
This decision follows Ndume’s recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. In response, the APC’s national leadership, represented by National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and Secretary Ajibola Bashiru, urged Ndume in a letter addressed to the Senate Caucus to resign from the APC and join any opposition party of his choice.
Earlier, SaharaReporters had reported Ndume’s harsh criticism of the Nigerian government. He described it as a “kakistocracy,” a system where the least qualified, most corrupt, and unscrupulous individuals hold power, highlighting the country’s leadership incompetence and malfeasance. In an interview with Arise TV, Ndume expressed that the government prioritizes personal interests over national well-being, asserting, “The government is also populated by kleptocrats, but unfortunately that is not what the president is up to; he really meant renewed hope, but you can only do that when you have people around you that are on the same type of thinking.”
Ndume voiced concerns over recent government policies like the cybercrime levy, which faced public opposition. He also criticized the limited access to the president, noting that some ministers only meet the president during council meetings, and the president often leaves first. “I’m the chief whip, and if the chief whip can’t have access to the president, the new senators won’t have access either,” he said.
Ndume emphasized the need for the president to surround himself with competent individuals and appoint democrats to key positions to ensure a more inclusive and effective governance. “The president needs people who will realize his dream and tell him when something is wrong,” he stated, stressing that this approach would help harness the country’s potential and address pressing challenges.