Former member of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Salihu Moh. Lukman has faulted the removal of Senator Ali Ndume as the Chief Whip of the Senate.
He also picked holes in the role played by the leadership of the governing party, warning that the party has taken the self-destructive path ahead of 2027.
The immediate past National Vice Chairman (North-West) in a statement in Abuja on Thursday titled: “Fanatical Mindset” maintained that any democracy that cannot accommodate criticism is no democracy.
The Senate on Wednesday removed Ndume as Chief Whip and replaced him with Sen. Tahir Monguno following a letter sent to the APC Caucus in the Senate by APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and National Secretary, Sen. Basiru Ajibola.
The party asked Senate to remove Ndume over his unguarded and uncomplimentary comments against the APC-led administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The former Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum however noted that “nowhere in the Constitution of APC where the National Chairman, National Secretary, or any official, or even the National Working Committee is given the powers to summarily remove any principal officer of the National Assembly.”
Doubting the procedure for removing Ndume, the former APC leader said: “It is very doubtful if members of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party are given the benefit of being part of those who took the decision to remove Sen. Ndume as the Chief Whip of the Senate. It is also doubtful if members of the APC Caucus in the Senate are consulted before the decision is taken to both remove Sen. Ndume and appoint Sen. Monguno as his replacement.
“It is simply an action taken by party leaders with fanatical mindset of blocking any attempt to scrutinise the President and actions being taken either directly by him or by his representatives, in whatever guise,” he said.
READ ALSO: Updated: Senate rejects motion to punish Ndume, names Monguno as new chief whip
He went further to blame the APC Senate Caucus for entertaining the party’s request, arguing that by their actions, they have set a precedent that would further erode the independence of the National Assembly.
He alleged that the way Sen. Godswill Akpabio has been conducting himself almost reducing the Senate Chamber to the status of a parastatal of government, the action of the APC under the leadership of Dr. Ganduje to direct removal of principal officers for criticizing President Tinubu’s government highlight the fanatical mindset undermining Nigerian democracy.
“Any democracy that cannot accommodate criticism is no democracy. A democracy that subverts fair hearing is a dictatorship. A democracy that permits a ruling party to demobilize its organs and inadvertently expels its members is worse than a military government.”
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