THE Senate, on Wednesday, July 17, removed Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, as its Chief Whip, following the request to that effect by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which also asked him to resign from the party.

The letter, which was signed by the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, and National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Bashir, was read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during the plenary.

After the letter was read, Akpabio put the request to voice vote and loudly affirmed by APC senators for Tahir Monguno, representing Borno North, to be admitted as the new Chief Whip, following his nomination by the party.

        The letter explained that Ndume, in his capacity as Chief Whip, was working to bring down the country through his unguarded utterances, ostensibly referring to his recent media interviews, where he alleged that President Bola Tinubu had been caged and made inaccessible and does not know that Nigerians are hungry.

Recall that Ndume, in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on July 10, alleged that some ministers and lawmakers could no longer reach Tinubu to tell him what Nigerians were going through and that there was hardship and hunger in the land.

He stated: “The major problem with this government is that its doors are closed, to the extent that even some ministers cannot see the President.

“Not to mention members of the National Assembly, who do not have the opportunity to meet with him and discuss the issues affecting their constituencies.”

Also, Ndume, in a television interview on July 12, alleged that former President, Muhammadu Buhari, was a more accessible leader, accusing unnamed Tinubu’s aides of “shielding and fencing in” the President from lawmakers and ministers.

All these culminated in his removal.