Northern Stakeholders, Senators Rally Against Plot to Suspend Ndume Over Criticisms of Tinubu

Senators aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have initiated plans to sanction Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) following his recent critical comments about the President.

Insiders at the National Assembly informed Daily Trust on Tuesday that the pro-Tinubu senators are aiming to remove Ndume from his position as Chief Whip of the Senate and suspend him, similar to the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) earlier this year. Ningi was suspended in March for three months after alleging in a BBC Hausa interview that N3.7 trillion in the 2024 national budget was unaccounted for.

Ndume’s remarks, made during an interview at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja last week, expressed concerns about President Tinubu’s awareness of national issues. “Mr. President is not in the picture of what is happening outside the Villa. He has been fenced off and caged,” Ndume stated. He criticized the administration’s handling of the food crisis, warning of severe consequences if it wasn’t addressed.

These statements sparked backlash from pro-Tinubu senators, including Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) and the APC, who deemed Ndume’s comments derogatory.

Sources reveal that the move against Ndume is spearheaded by three senators from the South West (Ekiti, Ogun, and Lagos) and one from Kogi. Senate President Godswill Akpabio is reportedly in a difficult position, given Ndume’s role as Director-General of the Stability Group that supported Akpabio’s election as Senate President in June 2023.

Northern senators are reportedly preparing to respond to any actions against Ndume during plenary sessions. A source noted, “The Northern Senators will rise against another plan to destabilize their caucus, barely a few months after Ningi was suspended.”

Supporting Ndume, the Concerned Northern Forum (CNF), through a statement by Mallam Abdulkadir Kura, emphasized Ndume’s longstanding role in the APC and his history of speaking out against federal government policies. “Ndume has spoken the minds of the average Nigerians who have been under serious economic hardship since the removal of the fuel subsidy and other anti-people policies of the present administration,” the statement read. The CNF lauded Ndume for his courage and commitment to truth, urging public support for the senator.

Ndume’s critiques are not new; he has previously challenged policies of past administrations, leading to positive changes.