•Senator Ali Ndume
Senator Ali Ndume yesterday apologised to the All Progressives Congress (APC) over his earlier comments against the party and the presidency.
Recall that Ndume had in an interview accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of running a solo government despite hunger across the land. He also alleged that Tinubu had been fenced off and caged by certain forces, reports Daily Independent.
Shortly after the interview, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) led by Abdullahi Ganduje wrote to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, asking for the immediate sack of Ndume as Senate Chief Whip.
Following this letter, the Senate sacked Senator Ndume (APC, Borno South) as the Chief Whip.
Speaking with journalists yesterday shortly after a closed door meeting with the APC National Chairman, Ganduje, that lasted about two hours, Ndume, who said he accepted his mistake of not talking to the party before going public, added that he stood by what he said.
Ndume said: “Yesterday, I was invited by the party and here I am to discuss family matters. Actually the national chairman is not just a national chairman to me but father. With what has happened, which you are all aware, it is not surprising that I am invited to hear my own side and we had family discussions and I actually accepted the mistake of not talking to the party as a last point and I promised the party that all my observations as a senior member of the family should have terminated or ended with the party.
“That is something that moving forward but whatever I said or whatever I did was out of patriotism and those issues maybe said strong but they are true but then I should have talked to the party as the last bus stop.”
Asked about APC membership, Ndume said, “I have not been expelled, even the party did not say we don’t want you here, because he is my father, the party is my father, the only thing the party said is that look, if you don’t want this house you can go to any house. Where will I go? This is my house.”
On whether he will apologize to the President or the Senate, the senator said, “The President and the Senate have nothing to do with this, the president did not take offence, I didn’t insult the president, I didn’t say anything against the party but I left the party out on issues.”
In his response, the APC National Chairman, Ganduje, said that the party accepted Ndume’s apology, but didn’t, however, state whether the lawmaker will get back his position as the Chief Whip of the Senate.
He disclosed that the party will convey to the Senate Ndume’s apology, hoping that the red chamber will review their position.
