Former Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume has issued a public apology to the All Progressives Congress (APC) for his comments on a live TV programme that were deemed embarrassing to President Bola Tinubu.
The apology comes a month after Ndume was ousted as Senate Chief Whip following an interview with Arise TV, in which he claimed Tinubu was out of touch with the struggles of Nigerians.
He also claimed Tinubu’s doors were not open to ministers and others in government.
Ndume was subsequently replaced by Senator Tahir Monguno from Borno North, as directed by APC leaders Umar Ganduje and Senator Bashir Ajibola.
After a meeting with the party’s National Working Committee in Abuja, Ndume told journalists that he had offered an unreserved apology to the party.
He, however, maintained that his original statements were accurate.
Ndume said he “was invited to hear my side and we had a family discussion”.
He said he “accepted the mistake of not talking to the party as a last point…”
“That is something that will be corrected moving forward. But whatever I said or did was out of patriotism,” he said.
He said the “issues may have been said strongly but they are true,” but noted that he should have talked to the party or get a clearance before making such critical statements in public.
He, however, denied that claims that he had been expelled from the party, describing the APC as his house.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu did not take offence to his statements.
APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, said the party was satisfied with Ndume’s apology and that it would consider his reinstatement as Chief Whip.
