A Political Science expert at the University of Abuja, Professor Abubakar Kari, has strongly condemned the removal of Senator Ali Ndume as the chief whip of the senate, describing it as an “assault on democracy”.
Recall that the removal was initiated by the All Progressives Congress leadership on Wednesday, who also asked Ndume to resign and join an opposition party due to his criticism of President Bola Tinubu.
Kari emphasized that democracy thrives on freedom of expression and that denying individuals the right to express themselves is a direct attack on democracy, according to Daily Trust.
He pointed out that Ndume’s removal was not based on any constitutional or legal violation, but rather on political intolerance and a lack of internal party democracy within the APC.
Ndume’s criticism of the government’s handling of food scarcity and security crises had sparked reactions from the pro-Tinubu camp, leading to his removal.
Kari’s condemnation highlights concerns about the erosion of democratic principles and the suppression of dissenting voices within the political sphere.
He said, “It’s very unfortunate, and it stands condemned by all true democrats and lovers of democracy. Democracy is a tradition; it has some cardinal principles. One of them is freedom of expression.
“Anytime the right of an individual or group to express themselves is denied, it is a direct assault on democracy, and that is the position from which I see this issue of Ndume.
“The APC as a party and the Senate as an institution collectively assaulted democracy. I don’t think this will augur well for democratic growth and consolidation, where individuals are not allowed to freely assert themselves within the ambit of the law.
“No one has come out to point to anything, whether in the constitution or laws of the land, that Ndume violated.
“It also shows political intolerance and a lack of internal party democracy. The APC is supposed to be a democratic party. It is supposed to be a party that preaches, practices, and operates on the basis of democracy. But it stands guilty and condemned for assaulting democracy.”
Last week, Ndume stated in an interview that the president had been fenced off and caged.
“Nigerians are getting very angry. The government is not doing anything about the food scarcity, and it needs to do something urgently. We don’t have a food reserve. There is an unavailability of food. The food crisis is the worst crisis that any nation can encounter. If we add that to the security crisis, it will be severe,” he had said.
