Ndume Rejects Senate Committee Chairmanship on Tourism, Protests Removal as Chief Whip

The lawmaker representing the Borno South, Senator Ali Ndume on Friday declined the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Tourism.

Ndume announced the decision at his country home in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital, about 48 hours after he was removed as the Chief Whip of the Senate.

Ndume was removed as the Senate Chief Whip after criticizing President Bola Tinubu.

The lawmaker, while reacting to his removal, said after reviewing the conversation that angered his colleagues, his believed his action did not warrant the punishment.

He said he declined the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Tourism because he lacks the experience and exposure to lead such a sensitive group.

Ndume claimed that he was given the chance to choose which committee to serve as the vice chairman, having successfully led the campaigns that brought about the emergence of Godswill Akpabio as President of the Senate.

On speculations that he may resign from the All Progressives Congress, APC, the senator said he will remain in the party, being a founding member.

According to him, he was one of the 22 senators from the PDP that formed the APC when the current national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, was a deputy governor in Kano State.