Nigerian Senator Ali Ndume has been removed as the Chief Whip of the 10th Senate after criticising Tinubu’s government.

Ndume representing Borno South Senatorial District and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was removed on Wednesday during a plenary.

He has subsequently been replaced with the Chairman, the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Tahir Mongunu.

Both Ndume and Mongunu are from Borno State in the northeast geopolitical zone.

Why Ndume was removed

The development followed a directive to that effect in a letter written by the National Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Umar Ganduje and National Secretary, Senator Bashir Ajibola.

The letter titled “Complaints Against the Unbecoming Utterances of Sen. Ali Ndume” was read by Akpabio during plenary on Wednesday.

“You have been making uncouth and rabid outbursts against the government before the international community which is not only harmful to the government’s image, but its effort to bring in foreign direct investments (FDIs),” the letter reads.

“We are of the opinion that Mohammed Tahir Monguno should immediately replace senator Ali Ndume who is bent on bringing down the country as the majority whip of the senate.”

He was then subsequently removed after the request was put to vote at the plenary.

What got Ndume into trouble
In an interview with BBC Hausa on July 10, 2024, Ndume had alleged that some ministers and lawmakers can no longer reach Tinubu to relay the prevailing economic hardship and hunger in the land.”The major problem with this government is that its doors are closed, to the extent that even some ministers cannot see the president,” he had said.”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.”

He repeated these claims in an interview with Arise TV on July 12, where he alleged that former President Muhammadu Buhari had been a more accessible leader.

Ndume accused the president’s aides of “shielding and fencing in” their principal from lawmakers and ministers.