…condemns Bwala’s attack against ex-Majority Whip
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Borno South Senatorial District, on Friday, July 26, called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to reverse the sack of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume as the Majority Whip of the Senate.
Speaking on behalf of other APC leaders from Borno South during a press conference in Abuja, Baba Ahmed Mustapha, said Ndume did nothing wrong by drawing the attention of President Bola Tinubu to the challenges faced by Nigerians.
He also dismissed claims that Ndume was planning to leave the APC for another political party.
Calling on the leadership of the APC to reinstate Ndume as the Majority Whip of the Senate, Mustapha said: “We call on the leadership of the APC and the Senate to reinstate Ndume as the Chief Whip of the Senate.
“Ndume has no plans to leave the party and we therefore urge them to reinstate him.”
He equally condemned a recent attack against Ndume by Daniel Bwala, a former aide to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar who recently defected to the APC.
He wondered why Bwala whose political antecedents and inconsistencies “are so legendary”, would attack Ndume.
Mustapha recalled how Bwala poured scorn on Tinubu in the past.
He said: “We appreciate and respect Daniel Bwala’s right to express his opinion on any issue as guaranteed by the Constitution just as the Senator when he knew that the observations made are within the bounds of the Constitution.
“As a learned lawyer, he knew that the provision of section 39 which guarantees the freedom of expression is applicable to all citizens. We make no excuses for the Senator.
“As a being, he has deficiencies. As a politician, he may not have lived up to people’s expectations. But we are proud that he has stood up to be counted when it matters most.
“He refused to behave like the ostrich, who, seeing the approaching storm, buries its head in the sand. His statement was made within the context of a call for proactive action by the government rather than an instigation against it.
“He would have kept silent and enjoy the privileges bestowed by his office. But as a politician to whom the welfare of the people is always of utmost concern, and conscious of the burden imposed on him by history, he never forgot the words of Frantz Fanon, the Algerian Revolutionary who said: ‘The future will have no pity for those who, possessing the exceptional privilege of being able to speak words of truth have taken refuge in an attitude of indifference and sometimes cold complicity.’
“Daniel Bwala has taken upon himself the responsibility of denigrating the senator and accusing him of not living up to the expectations of his constituents including grandstanding, we can present no better and stronger proof other than his consistent elections as a member of the House of Representatives and later on as a senator since 2003.
“The Senator has empowered many constituents but as a person not being given to the public and private display of generosity, the impact of his empowerment programmes has been manifest in his consistent reelection.
“There can be no better testimony than this. If Daniel Bwala feels otherwise, he is free to brave the field. After all, 2027 is not far.
“In all decent societies, consistency is always an attribute of ‘Men of Honour’ who stand by what they say and what they do. But can the accuser fit the bill?
“It is not only amazing but baffling that Bwala who established a reputation for pouring scorn on President Tinubu is trying to be his ardent defender.
“He has forgotten that yesterday was not far. Daniel Bwala once stated that ‘Tinubu is ruling with stolen mandate and the Gods of the land are against his leadership.’
“It has not forgotten that immediately after the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at which President Tinubu emerged as the Presidential candidate of the Party and picked Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate, Daniel Bwala reacted by quitting the party despite the fact that Kashim is proudly from Borno.
“The same Daniel Bwala on another occasion on Arise News, about a year ago, said ‘the Tinubu and the APC are suffering from Pamtophobia’ on 18th January 2023. With such an inconsistent political career guided more by personal considerations rather than Patriotism, could anything be the reason or is he looking for patronage?
“Senator Ndume has been consistent in his political career and has been bold enough to accept his mistakes when and where pointed out. Public interest rather than private has always pushed his political course.”