Mohammed Ali Ndume

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume was born in Gwoza Town of Borno State. He attended Gadamayo Primary School in Gwoza and completed in 1972. He proceeded to Comprehensive Secondary School Mubi in then Gongola, now Adamawa State from 1973 to 1978 where he obtained his Secondary School Certificate and WASC. He was cut out early in life for Leadership position as he was appointed Junior House Captain and promoted to House Captain in his final year Secondary School. His exceptional superlative brilliance saw him emerging in constant First position in class at Comprehensive Secondary School Mubi. On completion of Secondary School he went on to Kaduna Polytechnic to study Marketing in 1978. He completed his Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in 1980 and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Marketing in 1982 with Upper Credit level. He proceeded to Federal Polytechnic Ilaro in Ogun State between 1982 – 1983 for his compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). He joined the famous Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri as a lecturer in 1983 rising to the rank of a Senior Lecturer. In 1988, he was awarded the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Post-Graduate Scholarship to study Business and Computer Education at the University of Toledo, Ohio, United States of America and graduated with a B.Ed and M.Ed in 1990 and was awarded Magna Cum Laude academic honour. He was also admitted into the Phi Kappa Phi academic society for outstanding performance. On graduation, he returned to Nigeria and continued with his teaching career with the Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri, Borno State until 2003, when he fully involved in politics.[2]

In 2003, Ndume was elected to represent his people of Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of All Nigeria People Party (ANPP): a position he occupied from 2003 – 2011. On the inauguration of the sixth (6th) Assembly in 2007, he was unanimously elected as the Minority Leader and served creditably.

In December 2010 barely 100 days to 2011 elections Ndume decamped to the PDP, citing the injustices going on in the party as his reason for leaving the ANPP. He said the people from the grassroots of Southern Borno were solidly behind him.[3] He said that he was not being given a level playing ground in the competition with other ANPP aspirants for candidature in the Senate election. Apparently he had fallen out with Governor Ali Modu Sheriff.[4] Ndume's defection to the PDP was seen as a major blow to the ANPP. He was said to have been the major financer and the back-bone of ANPP in the Borno-South senatorial zone, and was considered one of the most dynamic of the lawmakers from the northeast zone.[5]

Following Ndume's defection, the PDP re-opened the sale of nomination forms. Alhaji Sanda Garba, who had been the only aspirant for the South Borno Senate seat, stepped down to make way for Ndume as the PDP candidate.[5] In the election, Ndume won 146,403 votes, ahead of Dr. Asaba Vilita Bashir of the ANPP with 133,734 votes and Alhaji Unaru Ibrahim of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) with 20,414 votes. Ndume served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on MDGs in the 7th Senate and remained vibrant and active in the political landscape. Senato.[6][7][8] Ndume was removed from his position due to his closeness to the Presidency and support for Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] Chairman nominee, Ibrahim magu.[9][10][11] The leadership of the 8th Senate led by Bukola Saraki was in conflict with the executive arm throughout the 8th assembly. Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume is married to Justice Aisha and Hajia Maryam and blessed with 10 children.[12]

Senator Ndume has moved several Motions and sponsored many Bills in the Parliament, the Constituencies Development Fund Bill and Electoral Act Amendment Bill that enabled Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) voted in 2015 elections.[6]

Political alignments and re-alignments saw him forming PDP with 20 of his colleagues which eventually coalesced into APC, the present ruling party. He was re-elected in the 2015 Senatorial elections and became the Leader of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 8th Assembly until 2017 when he was replaced with Ahmad Lawan.[13]

Ali Ndume Has been the Senate Majority leader in the Nigerian Senate House after the 2016 elections and impeached by the APC Senators on 10 January 2017.[14] Senator Ndume on 11 June 2019, loses bid to become Senate President of the 9th Senate. He contested against Senator Ahmed Lawan who emerged Winner.[15]