The All Progressives Congress (APC) has initiated moves to reinstate Senator Ali Ndume as the Chief Whip of the Senate.
The development comes after Ndume’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration which led to his removal from the position.
According to the National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdulahi Ganduje, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) has resolved to write to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to request Ndume’s reinstatement.
Ganduje made this disclosure after a closed-door meeting with Ndume in Abuja on Tuesday.
He explained that the party leadership was satisfied with Ndume’s apology, describing the issue as a “family matter” that needed to be resolved.
He stated: “We are quite satisfied with his apology. Like he said, we invited him and you know, the party is the father of everybody. As a party, we are free to invite legislators, we are free to invite members of the executive, and we are even free to invite all the appointed party members in the government.
“So, that is why we decided to come. So, it is a family issue, we need to resolve it and we are writing to the National Assembly conveying what has transpired between Senator Ndume and the party and you know he apologised to the party and we convey the same issue to the National Assembly, so that we hope they can review their position.”
Meanwhile, Ndume maintained that his criticism of the President was driven by patriotism and a desire to see positive change.
He said: “Yesterday (Monday) 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 of, it is not surprising that I am invited to air 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.
“Whatever I said or whatever I did was out of patriotism and those issues may be said strongly but they are true, but then I should have talked to the party as the last bus stop.
“My membership, 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.
“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 of reaching on issues and so, please I think that is all I can say.”
Ndume had accused the presidency of running a solo government, ignoring the plight of Nigerians amidst widespread hunger and poverty. He also alleged that certain forces had “fenced off” and “caged” the President, preventing him from taking action on pressing issues.
However, following his criticism, the APC NWC wrote to the Senate President, leading to Ndume’s removal as Chief Whip.
