The senator representing Southern Borno at the National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume, has said it is unpatriotic not to speak the truth to President Bola Tinubu where he fails in his duty to stand for Nigerians.
The senator also sought prayers from Nigerians to rescue the nation from the clutches of hunger and insecurity, and urged his supporters to remain calm and law-abiding following his removal as chief whip of the senate.
He said he had accepted his removal by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress through a letter written to the president of the senate, Godswill Akpabio last Wednesday.
Ndume had accused Tinubu’s presidency of running a solo government despite hunger across the land, just as he alleged in an interview with Arise TV last Thursday that Tinubu had been fenced off and caged by certain forces and expressed concern over the lack of appreciable action by the president in tackling poverty, insecurity, hunger and other pressing issues.
The APC in the letter read by Akpabio asked Ndume to resign from the party and join either the PDP or any of the opposition parties.
But Ndume who was in Maiduguri over the death of his sister-in-law told journalists at his residence yesterday after the third day funeral prayers: “I had wanted to react, but because I was mourning since the day I was illegally removed as chief whip of the senate, I was not able to do so.
“I am a democrat and a realist, and someone who always says the truth no matter whose ox is gored. 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.
“ Therefore, 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 Tinubu.
“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 vice chairman of the Appropriation Committee. Rather, I contested to be a senator representing Southern Borno and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“So it 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 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 country, I have never been to the United Kingdom, even United States of America which I went was when I was schooling there.
“I was happy yesterday when the president approved the minimum wage of N70,000 only. It is a good move, but the minimum wage is still minimal compared to a 50kg bag of rice which costs over N70,000.
“On the advice that I am free to join the 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 the people of my constituency and teaming 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 surrender my case to Almighty Allah.”
He urged his supporters and other 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.
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