Ndume Removal: It Seems Tinubu Has Resolved to Do Only One Term – Fmr APC Nat’l Vice Chair

Salihu Lukman, a former National Vice Chairman North-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has voiced his concerns regarding the removal of Senator Ali Ndume as the Chief Whip of the Senate and his subsequent expulsion from the party. Lukman suggests that these actions indicate President Bola Tinubu’s intention to serve only one term in office.

On Wednesday, Senator Ndume was replaced by Senator Tahir Monguno as the Chief Whip following a directive from APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and National Secretary, Senator Basiru Ajibola. The directive, conveyed in a letter to the APC Caucus in the Senate, cited Ndume’s alleged outbursts against the president as the reason for his dismissal.

In a statement issued on Thursday titled “Fanatical Mindset,” Lukman criticized the current administration for its apparent efforts to suppress free speech, drawing parallels to the repressive era of former military ruler Sani Abacha. He lamented the erosion of personal liberties and the lack of fair hearing, arguing that Nigeria now has “democracy without democrats.”

Lukman asserted that there is no provision in the APC Constitution granting the National Chairman, National Secretary, or the National Working Committee the authority to summarily remove any principal officer of the National Assembly. He condemned the APC Senate Caucus for permitting such an act of illegality, warning that it undermines the independence of the National Assembly.

“The way things are, it is almost as if President Asiwaju Tinubu has resolved that he will only be a one-term President. Under his watch, the living conditions of Nigerians is continuously getting worse. Instead of making effort to develop clear plans to address the situation, the government is becoming more intolerant to criticism,” Lukman stated.

He further emphasized, “Any democracy that cannot accommodate criticism is no democracy. A democracy that subverts fair hearing is a dictatorship. A democracy that permits a ruling party to demobilize its organs and inadvertently expels its members is worse than a military government.”

Lukman called on patriotic Nigerians to ensure the defeat of the APC and President Tinubu in the 2027 elections, arguing that the current path taken by the party is self-destructive.