The Nigerian Senate has removed Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume from his position as Chief Whip and replaced him with Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno.
The decision comes after a letter of complaint against Ndume’s “unbecoming utterances” was read by the President of the Senate.
The removal of Ndume, who represents Borno South, and his replacement by Monguno, also from Borno state, has sparked reactions across the country.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed Ndume’s claims that President Bola Tinubu was “caged” in the Presidential Villa and unable to address the challenges facing Nigerians.
In a statement, the APC spokesperson stated that Ndume had access to the entire machinery of the federal government but did not take advantage of it to seek solutions to the concerns he may have.
The spokesperson added that Ndume’s comments smacked of an indulgent sense of entitlement to see the president on a whim.
The APC also criticized Ndume for not remembering the plight of poor Nigerians when he fixed his children in choice agencies such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The replacement of Ndume with Monguno is expected to bring a new perspective to the Senate leadership. As the new Chief Whip, Monguno will be responsible for ensuring party discipline and mobilizing support for the government’s legislative agenda.
The Senate leadership’s decision to replace Ndume with Monguno is a significant development in Nigerian politics. It remains to be seen how this change will affect the dynamics of the Senate and the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of government.