Ndume meets APC NWC, apologises for anti-President comments

The senator representing Borno South Senatorial District of Borno State, Ali Ndume, on Tuesday, expressed regrets over his open criticisms of the ruling All Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu.

Ndume expressed his regrets while speaking to journalists in Abuja shortly after a closed-door meeting with the APC National Working Committee.

Ndume, an APC chieftain, had been relieved of his role as the Chief Whip of the Senate on account of his open criticisms of his party and the President.

The Senate sacked him after receiving a letter to the same effect from the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru.

The party warned him to desist from further attacking it, and the President or he should consider leaving.

Speaking with journalists on Tuesday after a two-hour closed-door meeting with the APC NWC, Ndume said he regretted taking his criticisms public rather than making it an in-house affair.

He, however, insisted that he spoke the truth.

He said, “I was invited by the party, and here I am to discuss family matters. Actually, the national chairman is not just a chairman to me but also a father. With what has happened, it is not surprising that I was invited to hear my side, and we had a family discussion.

“I accepted the mistake of not talking to the party as a last point and I told the party that all my observations as a senior member of the family should have terminated or ended within the party. That is something that (will be corrected) moving forward. But whatever I said or did was out of patriotism.

“Those issues may have been said strongly, but they are true. Again, I should have talked to the party at the last bus stop. Next time when I want to talk, I will come and get clearance or at least talk to the party.”

When asked to address the speculation that his membership was withdrawn by the ruling party, Ndume expressed surprise.

“My membership? No, I have not been expelled. Even the party did not say, ‘We don’t want you here’ because the party is my father. The only thing the party said is ‘If you don’t want this house, you can go to any house.’ But where will I go? This is my house,” he said.

Asked if he would equally apologise to the President and the Senate, Ndume said,  “The President and the Senate have nothing to do with this. The President did not take offence. I didn’t insult the President or say anything against the party.”

Also speaking, the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, said Ndume had apologised and had been forgiven.

He said, “We are quite satisfied with his apology. As he said, we invited him. As a party, the APC is the father of everybody. We are free to invite legislators, members of the executive and even all appointed party members in the government. That is why we decided to come together.

“It is a family issue, and we need to resolve it. We are writing to the National Assembly to convey what has transpired between Senator Ndume and the party. As you are aware, he has apologised to the party with the hope that they can review their position.”