Politics
APC begins moves to reinstate Ndume as Senate Chief Whip

Published
8 months agoon
By
Ekwutos Blog
The ruling All Progressives Congress has begun consultations with the leadership of the Senate to facilitate the reinstatement of Senator Ali Ndume as the Chief Whip.
The move comes one month after Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, was relieved of the position for repeated public criticisms of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC.
The Borno lawmaker claimed that the President had been caged and shielded from feeling the hardships Nigerians were passing through, an action that irked the ruling party.
Ndume was immediately replaced by the senator representing Borno North, Tahir Monguno, following a directive issued to that effect in a letter written by the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and National Secretary, Senator Basiru Ajibola.
The request was put to voice votes by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and loudly affirmed by all the APC senators.
Last Tuesday, a sober-looking Ndume told journalists after a two-hour closed-door meeting with the National Working Committee in Abuja that he had tendered an unreserved apology to the APC.
Confirming the development, the APC National Chairman, Ganduje, said Ndume’s apology was accepted, describing the situation as a family affair.
“We are writing to the National Assembly to convey what has transpired between Senator Ndume and the party. As you are aware, he has apologised to the party with the hope that they can review their position,” Ganduje said.
Three days after the meeting, a source at the party secretariat, who craved anonymity, told our reporter that the party had opened discussions with the leadership of the Senate to review Ndume’s removal as the Chief Whip.
“Just as the national chairman stated on Tuesday, the APC has begun consultation with the Senate leadership. As he rightly said the other day, it is a family issue,” the source said.
When contacted, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, confirmed the ongoing consultation, which, he said, might not necessarily be conducted in public.
Duru, however, said the onus was on the Senate leadership to decide if it was the right call.
According to him, the APC is a law-abiding party that is willing to welcome back prodigal and erring members once they are willing to retrace their steps and abide by the party’s Constitution.
He said, “It is for us to recommend to the Senate to do the needful. I believe they are all party members who respect the APC. It is on account of that, when the party felt there was something wrong in the way he addressed the public without allowing the party to hear him out, that we took the steps that we took.
“But he has realised his mistake and came to the party to admit that he should have first discussed it with the APC before going public. In the end, the party looked at it and then had a handshake with him. So it is important that having had that handshake, in the wisdom of the national chairmen of the party, that he communicates to the leadership of the Senate just as we did in the first instance.
“There will be many backdoor consultations and discussions that would address all the parties concerned for the important thing to be done, not just on the surface of it. The APC is a party that is law-abiding and motivates for consensus. You know Ndume is a ranking member of the party and well respected too. That was why we embraced him with a golden handshake and the meeting ended in a convivial atmosphere.”
The National Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, said the move to have Ndume reinstated as the Senate Chief Whip was not strange as the executive and legislative arms were free to reshuffle and reassign portfolios as they deem fit.
“Why not? Of course, there is nothing strange there. This is an in-house thing. Even in the executive arm of the government, a cabinet reshuffle is normal. The legislature can also reshuffle and reassign portfolios. Nobody has an entitlement to any position. It is at the discretion of the leader of the House or the Senate to assign portfolios to people they think can run the office to satisfaction.
“In any case, Ndume is a senior senator for that matter. There is nothing wrong if the Senate finds him good for that position. I don’t think there is any law that says he cannot be reinstated. Moreover, this is one Senate that is trying to be as rancour-free as possible under the leadership of Godswill Akpabio.
“So, I am sure if they feel the need to reinstate him, all the necessary consultations will be made to ensure that it is done in a way that will not create any hitch. This is my belief. He apologised and the party accepted his apology. So it’s an in-house thing. It is a problem within the family that can always be resolved without necessarily going for an intermediary.
“So I believe the party will put in place all the necessary things that need to be done for him to be reinstated. That is not my place to say. It is the discretion of the Senate and the discretion of the party,” Ibrahim said.
You may like
Trump’s tariffs: Why won’t countries buy US meat products?
JUST IN: Niger Republic Dumps French, Adopts Hausa As National Language
Trump moves to restore some terminated foreign aid programmes
Two women drown, die in Kano puddle
Congo Frees Jailed Americans After Failed Coup, Hands Them Over to U.S.
INEC Chairman, Mahmood not sacked – Spokesman
Politics
JUST IN: Niger Republic Dumps French, Adopts Hausa As National Language

Published
1 hour agoon
April 9, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
Niger’s military-led government has declared Hausa as the country’s new national language, replacing French, in another decisive step away from its former colonial power, France.
The national language is now “Hausa” while the working languages are English and French,” the junta stated in a new charter .
Hausa is Niger’s most widely spoken language, particularly prevalent in the regions of Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua.
The language is understood and spoken by a large portion of the population in the country of 26 million.
By contrast, French is spoken by only about 13 per cent of Nigeriens — roughly three million people.
Politics
Trump moves to restore some terminated foreign aid programmes

Published
2 hours agoon
April 9, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday moved to reinstate at least six recently canceled US foreign aid programs for emergency food assistance.
The quick reversal of decisions made just days ago underscored the rapid-fire nature of Trump’s cuts to foreign aid.
It has resulted to programmes being cut, restored then cut again, disrupting international humanitarian operations.
USAID Acting Deputy Administrator Jeremy Lewin, who has previously been identified as a member of billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, asked staff in an internal email to reverse the terminations.
Lewin also asked to restore awards to the World Food Programme in Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, Jordan, Iraq and Ecuador.
The administration has also reportedly resumed four awards to the International Organization for Migration in the Pacific region,
“Sorry for all the back and forth on awards. There are a lot of stakeholders and we need to do better about balancing these competing interests — that’s my fault and I take responsibility,” Lewin said.
Ekwutosblog reported on Monday that the Trump administration had ended life-saving aid programmes for more than a dozen countries including Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and Syria, totaling over $1.3 billion.
Stand Up For Aid, an advocacy group of current and former US officials said World Food Programme contracts canceled on Lewin’s orders last weekend for Lebanon, Syria, Somalia and Jordan totaled more than $463 million.
Many of the terminated programmes are said to have been granted waivers by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio following an initial round of cuts to foreign aid programs.
As of the time of filing this report, the State Department has not commented about restoring the awards.
Politics
INEC Chairman, Mahmood not sacked – Spokesman

Published
3 hours agoon
April 9, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
By Omeiza Ajayi, ABUJA
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has disclaimed social media reports that its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has been sacked by President Bola Tinubu.
A viral WhatsApp message had indicated that Mahmood was sacked and replaced with one Prof. Olamilekan.
“INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu has been replaced with Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan by President Tinubu,” the message, which had no attribution, read.
In response to a message from Vanguard, the Chief Press Secretary CPS to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, simply said: “Please, disregard. It is not true.”
Yakubu, who is rounding off his second tenure in office, is expected to exit the system towards the end of the year.
The process of appointing an INEC chairman is the President nominating a candidate and forwarding his particulars to the Department of State Services, DSS, for profiling.
After such screening, the President thereafter takes the name to the National Council of State for its advisory review. Based on the outcome, the President sends the name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Presidency, too
The Presidency also debunked the widespread report claiming that President Tinubu has sacked Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, described the news as false.
“The Nigerian public should disregard any fake news making the rounds about the replacement of the INEC Chairman.
“Any such announcement will come from the SGF’s office or any other appropriate official source,” Ogra wrote.

Trump’s tariffs: Why won’t countries buy US meat products?

JUST IN: Niger Republic Dumps French, Adopts Hausa As National Language

Trump moves to restore some terminated foreign aid programmes
Trending
- Trending6 months ago
NYA demands release of ‘abducted’ Imo chairman, preaches good governance
- Business6 months ago
US court acquits Air Peace boss, slams Mayfield $4000 fine
- Politics6 months ago
Mexico’s new president causes concern just weeks before the US elections
- Entertainment6 months ago
Bobrisky transferred from Immigration to FCID, spends night behind bars
- Entertainment6 months ago
Bobrisky falls ill in police custody, rushed to hospital
- Politics6 months ago
Russia bans imports of agro-products from Kazakhstan after refusal to join BRICS
- Politics6 months ago
Putin invites 20 world leaders
- Politics1 year ago
Nigerian Senate passes Bill seeking the establishment of the South East Development Commission.