Senator Mohamed Ali Ndume has been stripped of his position as Chief Whip in the Nigerian Senate.
According to the Tribune, the move came after Ndume publicly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government, sparking a backlash from the ruling party’s loyalists.
Ndume’s removal was endorsed by members of the APC Senate Caucus during plenary, after a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday.
The national leadership of the ruling party, APC, had earlier asked Ndume to resign his membership of the party and join any opposition party of his choice, in a letter signed by the party’s national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and Secretary, Barrister Ajibola Bashiru.
Ndume’s criticisms of the government had sparked a backlash from the pro-Tinubu camp, with Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) and the APC condemning his statement as derogatory.
The removal of Ndume as Chief Whip is seen as a significant development in the political landscape of Nigeria, and may have implications for the future of the APC.
