I Want To Say Publicly, I Am Not In Support Of This — Ndume Rejects Endorsement Of Senate Leadership

Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in the Senate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has rejected a motion by the 10th Senate endorsing continuity for its current leadership in the 11th National Assembly, describing the move as unconstitutional. Ndume made his position known during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, October 19, 2026.

While reacting to the Senate’s reported declaration that there would be no vacancy in the offices of the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President and other principal officers in the next Assembly. Responding, Ndume publicly distanced himself from the motion, insisting that he neither supported nor participated in its consideration.

“Well, Charles, first of all, I want to use this opportunity to say publicly that I am not in support of this. I’m not part of it. I was not there. I went to pray. By the time I came back, this motion, so-called motion, was taken,” the senator said.

When asked directly whether he disagreed with the decision, Ndume answered in the affirmative, arguing that the Senate could not legitimately determine the leadership of the next Assembly ahead of the election of its members. “No. I don’t agree with it because that is not possible. It’s unconstitutional,” he stated.

Ndume referred to Sections 50 to 52 of the Nigerian Constitution, arguing that the provisions governing the legislature did not support the action taken by the Senate. He pointed to the number of APC senators who, according to him, had secured their party tickets. “This time it will, because in the first place, there are only 50 or so members of the APC that are there that got their tickets,” he said.

The senator also questioned the attendance at the sitting where the motion was considered, suggesting that only a small number of lawmakers were present. “And also, you can see the chamber that day. I think many people had gone to do security, I mean, community works. I don’t think we were up to 20,” Ndume said.

He further argued that the motion had not been listed on the Senate’s order paper, which he cited as another reason for opposing the procedure. “And then it was not on the order paper. You can’t just stand up and say those kind of things,” he added.