I have no regret attacking Tinubu over hunger,  insecurity on Arise Television  — Ndume

AHMED MARI, Maiduguri

Former Chief Whip of the 10th Senate and senator representing Borno South at the National Assembly, Mohammed Ali Ndume has said, he has no regret over his statement on the hunger in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu and accepted his removal from office by the National Working Committee, NWC of the ruling All Progressives Congress, through a letter to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio Wednesday in good faith

Senator Ndume, who was in Maiduguri, and bereaved following the demise of his sister In-law spoke with journalists at his residence on Friday after the Third Day Funeral prayers adding that “I had wanted to react, but because I was mourning since the day I was illegally removed as Chief Whip of the Senate, I now deem it feet to do so”.

“I stand by anything I said on an interview I granted on the  Arise Television  and accepted my removal as act of God . I am a democrat and a realist, and someone who always says the truth no matter whose ox is gored”

According to him, “I have not regretted what I said during my interview with Arise TV, I thank all Nigerians who took to their Social Media Platforms and groups who issued a press statement aligning with my statement regarding excruciating hunger and insecurity under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“It could be recalled that  Ndume had accused Tinubu’ presidency of running a solo government despite hunger across the land, just as he had alleged in an interview with Arise TV last Thursday that Tinubu had been fenced off and caged by certain forces and expressed concerns over the lack of appreciable action by Tinubu in tackling poverty, insecurity, hunger, and other pressing issues.

The APC  in the letter read by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, also asked  Ndume to resign from the party and join either the Peoples Democratic Party,  PDP or any of the opposition party.

However, Ndume said according to former US President, Mr. Theodore Roosevelt, and I quote ”Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country.

“It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else'”, he explained.

“Secondly, the NWC of our great party, APC that recommended to the Senate that I should be removed which they did, I took that as an act of God, because, it is God that gave me that mandate as Chief Whip, so I bear no grudges about what transpired, after all I did not contest to be the Chief Whip or to be the Vice Chairman of the Appropriation Committee. Rather, I contested to be a senator representing Southern Borno and Federal Republic of Nigeria”, Ndume added.

He said “so ot is not that I am desperate, I am over 64 years now, and I thank God. As for the Chairman Senate Committee on Tourism offered to me, I want to say that, I am not a tourist and not good in tourism, as it is, I have spent over 10 years without going to any foreign countries, I have never been to United Kingdom, even United States of America which I went was when I was schooling there”..

He said “I am happy yesterday when the President approved the minimum wage to N70,000 only. Is a good move, but the minimum wage is still minimal compared to a 50kg bag of rice which cost over N70,000.

“On the advice(s) that I am free to join the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP or any political party of my choice, I want to reiterate that,  I am one of the founding members of the APC. It is my people of my constituency and teeming supporters that will decide for me whether to stay in APC, join another party or quit politics. Whatever their advice, is what I will work with.

“On whether I will take the matter to court, I want say that, I will not go to court,  I surrendered my case to Almighty Allah (God)”. Ndume stated.

He however called on his supporters and teeming Nigerians to continue to pray for God to have mercy on the masses, restore peace in the land, and to remain calm and law abiding always as things unfold.