Ndume is cautioned by APC not to insult Tinubu.

The ruling All Progressives Congress suggested that rather than publicly denouncing the government’s policies or actions, Ali Ndume, the former Chief Whip of the Senate, should speak with President Bola Tinubu privately.

In an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, Bala Ibrahim, the National Publicity Director of the APC, offered the advice, stating that while everyone in a democracy has the freedom to voice their opinions, influential people like Ndume have to consider their comments carefully before speaking out.

In the National Assembly, Ndume, who represents the Borno South Senatorial District, had urged the President to address the suffering endured by the populace before it was too late.

Ndume asserted in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday that certain evil actors associated with Tinubu were in charge of promoting detrimental changes and policies meant to topple the government.

He said, “Those who are out to discredit the President will do whatever it takes to hurt Nigerians with the so-called reforms till things get out of control, at which point President Tinubu will be held accountable.

The senator further recommended that the Tinubu administration attend to the pain of hyperinflation, which has been exacerbated by the ongoing increases in the costs of necessities.

Ndume’s most recent intervention occurs just a few months after the ruling APC, which he belongs to, urged the Senate to remove him from his role as Senate Chief Whip due to his unrelenting public criticism of President Tinubu and the party.

Later, he would apologize and receive a pardon from the APC, which asked that the Senate reinstate him as Chief Whip. Ndume’s appointment as Chief Whip by the Senate is still pending.

When asked on Sunday if Ndume’s most recent public advise to the President alarmed the ruling APC, Ibrahim, the party’s national publicity director, said Ndume should proceed with prudence.

“People have the right to own an opinion and to ventilate their positions without anyone suppressing them,” he stated. Ali Ndume is a general adviser to the president. The President is working on the party’s agenda and policies, so if you happen to be in the same party as him, you have some things in common.

As a prominent member of the party, a lawmaker, and a previous Chief Whip, Ndume serves as an advisor to all of our party’s leaders by default. He can therefore communicate with them in private without necessarily doing so in public. People need to be aware of their stance and the reality that their supporters will go so far as to evaluate them according to what they do or say.

“Ndume is highly esteemed by many people. He must therefore always consider what he says to avoid being misquoted or misunderstood. However, I hope that he is acting honestly when he does this. Whether the APC is unhappy or will take any sanctions into account when making a decision.

This development occurs three months after Ndume’s removal from the Chief Whip role due to his humiliation of the President on a live Arise TV broadcast.

The Bornu senator infuriated the ruling party by claiming that Tinubu had been imprisoned and kept in the dark about the struggles Nigerians were facing.

Following a direction from the party’s national secretary, senator Bashir Ajibola, and national chairman, Umar Ganduje, in a letter, he was promptly replaced by senator Tahir Monguno, who represents Borno North.

Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, put the request to a voice vote, and all of the APC senators enthusiastically supported it.

However, following a two-hour meeting behind closed doors with the APC National Working Committee in Abuja two months ago, a somber-looking Ndume informed reporters that he had expressed regret to the party’s leadership.

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