By Mohammed Bello Doka
In a tense political showdown, senators loyal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are reportedly strategizing to suspend Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) following his recent critical comments about the President’s administration. Insiders at the National Assembly revealed that these pro-Tinubu senators aim to remove Ndume from his role as the Chief Whip of the Senate and suspend him, similar to the earlier suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central).
Ningi faced suspension for three months in March after criticizing the national budget on BBC Hausa, alleging that N3.7 trillion in the 2024 fiscal year budget was unallocated to any specific projects or locations. Now, Ndume’s outspoken remarks have ignited a fresh wave of controversy.
Ndume, speaking at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, stated, "Mr. President is not in the picture of what is happening outside the Villa. He has been fenced off and caged. So many of us won’t go through the backdoor to engage him. Now they have stopped him from talking and he doesn’t have public affairs managers, except his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, who writes press statements. Nigerians are getting very angry. The government is not doing anything about the food scarcity and it needs to do something urgently. We don’t have food reserve. There is unavailability of food. Food crisis is the worst crisis that any nation can encounter. If we add that to security crisis, it will be severe.”
These comments sparked swift backlash from pro-Tinubu senators, notably Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West), who criticized Ndume’s statements as derogatory. Reliable sources disclosed that three of the four senators behind Ndume’s potential suspension hail from the South West—Ekiti, Ogun, and Lagos—with another senator from Kogi also involved.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio faces a dilemma, given Ndume’s crucial role in supporting his ascension to the Senate presidency in June 2023. Nonetheless, Northern senators are prepared to counter any moves against Ndume, aiming to preserve their caucus's stability following Ningi's suspension.
Meanwhile, the Concerned Northern Forum (CNF), in a statement by Mallam Abdulkadir Kura, expressed strong support for Ndume, underscoring his longstanding critical stance and advocacy for the truth. The CNF declared, “It is on record that Ndume is a critical stakeholder of the ruling APC and a close ally of President Tinubu. Therefore, if he can take such a bold step in saying the truth about the economic and social reality on the ground, then the Southern Borno Senator needs to be celebrated by all and sundry. So we stand by him.”
Ndume’s remarks have resonated with many Nigerians grappling with economic hardships, exacerbated by recent policy changes such as the removal of the fuel subsidy. His history of challenging federal government policies, spanning administrations from Presidents Goodluck Jonathan to Muhammadu Buhari, has previously led to positive governmental changes, bolstering his current stance.
As the situation unfolds, the nation watches closely to see whether Ndume’s critical voice will be silenced or if it will spur meaningful dialogue and action within the Senate.
Tags
News