Sen. Ndume turns down Akpabio’s appointment, insists on comments

Senator Ali Ndume has turned down his appointment in the Senate into the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Tourism, describing it as an area he was not conversant with.

Ali Ndume was removal as the Chief Whip of the Senate after his criticism of the President Bola Tinubu government’s handling of the nation.

Speaking from Maiduguri, Borno State on Friday about 48 hours after he was removed as the Senate Chief Whip, Ndume said that he never wanted to be a Senate Whip after serving as the leader in the 8th Senate.

On the controversial comment, he said: “I did not say anything wrong. And therefore I want to state that I stand by all my statements in the interview I granted.

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“So, I know that I’m not wrong. The people are not wrong by speaking the truth and standing by the truth.

“And I pray that the president who by now, I expect the message should have gotten to him, looks at what I have said and take appropriate measures to eliminate the suffering of the people.

“Secondly, the party that recommended to the Senate that I should be removed from being the chief whip of the Senate, I take that as an act of God because if it is God who gave me that position. It is God that took it through APC. So, I bear no grudges about that.

“After all, I did not contest to be the chief whip. I did not contest to be the vice chairman of the appropriation committee. I contested to be the se one of the Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and God granted me that victory and I’m happy with God, what God has given to me.”

On the charge to resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the senator said he is a founding member of the party.

“So, I’m not a new member. I didn’t join APC just like that. It was in consultation with my people that I joined APC. I take his advice and I will get, I know across to my people,” the lawmaker said.