The ongoing turmoil in the Senate regarding the removal of Senator Ali Ndume (APC Borno South) as Senate Whip has taken a new turn, with the senator firmly rejecting a proposed office relocation.
Ndume was removed from his position as Chief Whip by Senate President Godswill Akpabio following his outspoken comments about the hardships faced by Nigerians.
He was subsequently demoted from his role as vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation and offered an office on the lower floor, room 3.10.
Traditionally, Senate office assignments are determined by seniority and the various roles lawmakers hold.
Ndume, who previously turned down an offer to chair the Senate Committee on Tourism, maintained that, as a senior senator, he can still significantly contribute to the nation‘s progress without leading a committee.
Just when it seemed the situation in the Senate was stabilising, Sunday Karimi, the chairman of the Senate Services Committee from Kogi West, designated room 3.10 as Ndume’s new office.
Notably, Karimi was among the first to publicly criticise Ndume’s remarks regarding the country’s food insecurity.
In response, Ndume has sent a letter to Karimi, asserting that high-ranking senators are typically assigned offices on the fourth floor, where his previous office was located.
The correspondence, dated July 30, 2024, from Ndume’s Chief Confidential Secretary, Yati Shuaibu Gawu, emphasized that only former Senate President Ahmad Lawan outranks Ndume in the current Senate.
The letter, titled “Office Allocation,” stated, “I am directed to inform you that Distinguished Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume has rejected the allocation of office number 3.10 by the Committee.
“As the most senior senator after Senator Ahmad Lawan, he will only accept an office on the fourth floor,” the letter added.