The leadership of the Labour Party has condemned the removal of Senator Ali Ndume as the chief whip of the Senate, viewing it as punishment for his outspoken support of the suffering masses and a sign that “speaking truth to power” is now a crime in Nigeria.
In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, the party criticized the action taken by the Goodwill Akpabio-led Senate, suggesting it reflects a dictatorial inclination by the All Progressives Congress (APC). Senator Ndume’s “crime,” according to the Labour Party, was his candid expression of concerns regarding the escalating cost of living and food scarcity in Nigeria, along with his revelation that President Bola Tinubu is ignoring the acute starvation facing the nation.
Ifoh stated, “The dimension this administration is taking is grave. A few months ago, Senator Abdul Ningi exposed the rot in the government, where the Senate leadership and executive collaborators allegedly padded the budget. That got him suspended and intimidated out of his lawful representative role as a senator.”
The Labour Party spokesperson highlighted the ongoing economic crisis, citing recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which reported a food inflation rate of 40.66%. The 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition World report also noted a 133% increase in the number of food-insecure Nigerians, from 58 million between 2014 and 2016 to 148.7 million between 2020 and 2022, with the situation worsening currently.
“Even with all these glaring challenges,” Ifoh continued, “the government has spent about N150 billion naira on a presidential jet and is building roads that do not directly address the economic crisis in Nigeria. Media practitioners are recoiling into their shells out of fear of reporting the facts about this government, fearing repression and incarceration.”
The Labour Party questioned the democratic nature of the ruling party’s interference in the independent legislative arm’s leadership decisions. “This is tyranny by a cabal against legislative autonomy. Nigeria is gradually descending into dictatorship, and we call on citizens to be alert and defend against the starvation weapon being deployed by this administration,” Ifoh concluded
