The Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is deliberating on reinstating Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South to his former role as Senate Chief Whip.
MUK TV reports that this potential reinstatement follows a closed-door meeting on Tuesday where Ndume was summoned by the party’s leadership to explain his recent critical remarks about President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which had led to his removal from the position.
After the meeting, Ganduje expressed the party’s satisfaction with Ndume’s apology and indicated that they would communicate this to the Senate leadership, hoping for a reconsideration of Ndume’s removal.
“We are quite satisfied with his apology. Like he said, we invited him and you know the party is the father of everybody… 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,” Ganduje said.
Ndume acknowledged his mistake, admitting he should have addressed his concerns through the party leadership rather than airing them publicly.
“Yesterday, I was invited by the party and here I am to discuss family matters… 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,” Ndume stated.
Ndume clarified that he has not been expelled from the party and emphasized his loyalty, noting, “My membership, I have not been expelled, even the party did not say we don’t want you here… This is my house.”
He also mentioned that neither the President nor the Senate had taken offense at his remarks, stressing that his comments were meant to be constructive and patriotic.