The ousted Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has rejected the chairmanship of the Committee on Tourism offered him, saying he is not a tourist.
Ndume also said only his constituents, who elected him, can ask him to leave the All Progressives Congress, APC, for another party.
Furthermore, he lauded President Bola Tinubu on the N70,000 new minimum wage but said it was little compared to a 50kg bag of rice.
Recall that the National Working Committee, NWC, of APC had removed Senator Ndume (APC, Borno South) as Chip Whip over his comments on President Buhari.
However, reacting on Friday, the politician said he stood by his comments but had accepted his removal.
Tourism Committee chair
Ndume spoke to journalists at his residence in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, on Friday. He was home for the third day prayers for his late sister-in-law.
He said: “As for the Chairman Senate Committee on Tourism offered to me, I want to say that I am not a tourist and not good in tourism.
“As it is, I have spent over 10 years without going to any foreign countries. I have never been to the United Kingdom, UK. Even the United States of America which I went was when I was schooling there.
“I am happy; yesterday the President approved the minimum wage to N70,000 only. It is a good move. But the minimum wage is still minimal compared to a 50kg bag of rice which costs over N70,000.”
On his removal, he said: “I had wanted to react. But I was mourning. I now deem it feet to do so.
“I am a democrat and a realist, and someone who always says the truth no matter whose ox is gored.
“According to former US President, Mr. Theodore Roosevelt, and I quote ‘Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else’.
‘I stand by my words’
Ndume continued: “Therefore, I have not regretted what I said during my interview with Arise TV. I thank all Nigerians who took to their social media platforms and groups who issued a press statement aligning with my statement regarding excruciating hunger and insecurity under President Bola Tinubu.
“Secondly, the NWC of our great party, APC recommended to the Senate that I should be removed, which they did, I took that as an act of God. Because it is God that gave me that mandate as Chief Whip.
“So I bear no grudges about what transpired. After all, I did not contest to be the Chief Whip or to be the Vice Chairman of the Appropriation Committee. Rather, I contested to be a senator representing southern Borno and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“So it is not that am desperate. I am over 64 years old now, and I thank God.
… on joining PDP
“On the advice(s) that I am free to join the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, or any political party of my choice, I want to reiterate that, I am one of the Founding members of the APC.
“It is my people, my constituency and teaming supporters, that will decide for me whether to stay in APC, join another party or quit politics. Whatever their advice, is what I will work with.
“On whether I will take the matter to court, I want to say that, I will not go to court. I surrendered my case to Almighty Allah (God),” Ndume stated.
However, Ndume called on his supporters and teaming Nigerians to continue to pray for God to have mercy on the masses, restore peace in the land, and to remain calm and law-abiding always as things unfold.
