The Labour Party has expressed its strong disapproval of the removal of Senator Ali Ndume from his position as the Chief Whip of the Senate, a decision that was made on Wednesday. Senator Tahir Monguno, who represents Borno North, has been appointed as Ndume’s replacement.
The directive for Ndume’s removal came from the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umar Ganduje, and the National Secretary, Senator Bashir Ajibola. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, conducted a voice vote on the request, and all APC senators expressed their agreement loudly.
In response, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, released a statement in Abuja expressing grave concerns about the present political atmosphere in Nigeria.
Ifoh emphasized that the removal of Senator Ndume is indicative of a worrying pattern where criticizing those in power is being progressively treated as a criminal act in the country.
Ifoh noted, “The crime of Senator Ndume was his bold expression of his concerns regarding the escalating cost of living and food scarcity in Nigeria and his revelation that President Bola Tinubu has chosen to play the ostrich even in the face of acute starvation being witnessed in Nigeria.”
Obiora Ifoh expressed deep concerns about the current political climate in Nigeria following the removal of Senator Ali Ndume as Chief Whip of the Senate. Ifoh criticized this action as part of a broader pattern of suppressing and intimidating those who criticize the government’s failures.
He pointed to the suspension and intimidation of Senator Abdul Ningi, who exposed alleged budget padding, as another example of this troubling trend.
He added, “It is needless talking about the economic crisis ongoing in Nigeria even where a few cabal members are massively enriching themselves. The National Bureau of Statistics recently said that food inflation has risen to 40.66 per cent.
“Even with all these glaring challenges, the government is said to have paid about N150b for a presidential jet and building roads that have no direct bearing on the economic crises in Nigeria.”
Ifoh additionally voiced worry about the rising atmosphere of fear among media professionals. He noted that journalists are becoming increasingly hesitant to report factual information due to the fear of being silenced or imprisoned, which further contributes to the troubling situation.
He further emphasized, “This is a tyranny of a cabal against a legislative autonomy. Nigeria is gradually descending into dictatorship and we are calling on the citizens to be on alert and put up a defence against the starvation weapon being deployed by this administration.”
