Borno Indigenes Storm NASS Complex, Demand Ndume’s Reinstatement As Chief Whip

By Akinwale Kasali

Borno State indigenes stormed the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, Tuesday, to push for the reinstatement of Senator Ali Ndume as the Chief Whip of the Ninth Assembly.

Last week, Ndume was unceremoniously removed as the Chief Whip For criticising the President Bola Tinubu’s Government, and subsequently replaced him with Senator Mohammed Monguno, who is from Borno North Senatorial District.

The aggrieved protesters carried placards with various inscriptions like, “We reject removal of Senator Ndume as Whip of the Senate; “Ndume’s utterances are for the good of the country; “Senate should correct injustice meted to Senator Ndume” amongst others.

Expressing their displeasure over the Senate’s action, the Borno group under the aegis of the Southern Borno Development Association led by one Muhammad Biu, said the injustice meted out to Ndume must be redress.

The leader of the group in a letter titled: “Appeal over the removal of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume as Senate Whip for expressing views on burning National Issues,” read to journalists, called for  the reversal of the decision.

The letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, reads in part, “On behalf of the good people of Southern Borno Senatorial District of Borno State, we humbly wish to appeal to the Distinguished Senate under your able leadership to passionately reconsider the APC Senate Caucus decision that removed Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume as the Senate Chief Whip and also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation based on the letter written to the Senate by the National Chairman of All Progressive Congress.

“We wish to state with the deepest sense of responsibility that Senator Ndume’s comments on the food insecurity issue appear to have been misunderstood as they were not intended to disparage the administration of President Bola Tinubu. On the contrary, it should be understood in the context of our collective effort to find solutions to our current food insecurity which the Government is fully aware.”

It added, “It is a well-known fact that Nigeria is currently facing a severe food crisis, with widespread hunger threatening the well-being of Nigerians. Senator Ndume, driven by a sense of responsibility and patriotism only called the attention of government to these pressing issues, hoping that prompt and effective action would be taken to address them.

“It is also on record that other prominent APC Senators had expressed similar views on the floor of the Senate and equally called on President Tinubu to take urgent measures to avert the seeming imminent food crisis.

“It is also on record that Senator Ndume is a dedicated APC member who laboured tirelessly from its formative stage to its present position and has never done anything that undermined the success of the party or its leadership, but rather offered constructive advice on good governance for the wellbeing of Nigerians.”

The letter further noted: “The Senate could have done better by deploying its internal democratic mechanism of resolving issues affecting its members. We pray that the Senate will not throw away the bath water with the baby over an issue that could amicably be resolved.

“In light of these facts and the need to give our Senatorial District its due position in the leadership of the Senate, we humbly appeal to the Senate to reconsider its position on the measures taken against Senator Ndume in the interest of fairness, justice, and equity and reinstate him accordingly.

“Additionally, we urge President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, GCFR, the leader of our great party, a true democrat who upholds the tenets of democracy to passionately intervene.”