By Bonaventure Phillips Melah

Popularly known as Senator Ali Ndume, he has been representing Borno South Senatorial District in the upper chamber of the national assembly since 2011.

Born on November 20, 1959, Ndume is an outspoken lawmaker who does not brood mediocrity and is ready to confront every topic in issue frankly, without fear or favour.

Recently, he shocked his colleague senators when he supported President Bola Tinubu’s directive that Police escorts should be withdrawn from VIPs as the country needs every police personnel available for the fight against crime and criminalities. On the other hand, majority of senators have been clamouring for the reversal of the policy, for selfish reason.

Ndume has also spoken strongly against terrorism, banditry and other violent criminalities. He has advocated there should be no clemency for those who kill Nigerian citizens in cold blood, arguing that the campaign for justice and respect for human dignity should not apply in the case of terrorists who kill their victims without mercy, therefore urged fighting military officers in the field to take out anyone with intent to kill them or their colleagues in battle.

Mohammed Ali Ndume was born in Gwoza Town of Borno State. He attended Gadamayo Primary School, Comprehensive Secondary School Mubi, Kaduna Polytechnic where he obtained Ordinary and Higher National Diplomas as well as Federal Polytechnic Ilaro in Ogun State for his compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) after which he joined Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri as a lecturer in 1983, rising to the position of Senior Lecturer.

In 1988, Ndume 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 in 1990, 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.

Ndume was elected to represent the people of Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) from 2003 to 2011. Upon the inauguration of the 6th Assembly in 2007, he was unanimously elected as the Minority Leader and has also served as Chief Whip of the Senate. The Borno State-born lawmaker served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on MDGs in the 7th Senate.

Ndume has moved several motions and sponsored many bills in the Parliament. A few of them include: Constituencies Development Fund Bill; Electoral Act Amendment Bill that enabled Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) vote in 2015 elections; Nigerian Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill; North East Development Commission Bill; Unemployed youths, elderly and indigent sustainability allowance Trust Fund Bill; Communication Service Tax Bill; Environmental Health office (Registration etc.) Act 2002 (Amendment) Bill; Federal Audit Service Commission Bill; Capital Expenditure Budget Roll Over Bill and the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill.

Other people-oriented Bills to his credit are: Anti-torture Bill; Telecommunications and Post Offices Act CAP T5 LFN 2004 (Amendment); National Crop Varieties and Livestock Breeds (Registration, etc) Act CAP N27, LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill; Produce (Enforcement of Export Standard) Act CAP P32 LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill; Corruption Practices and other Related offences Act CAP 31 LFN 200; Federal Capital Territory Hospital Management Board (Establishment) Bill; Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Bill; Prevention of Crime Act (Amendment) Bill; Water Resources Act (Amendment) Bill; National Agriculture Land Development Authority Act (Amendment) Bill; Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers Act CAP LFN, 2004 (Amendment) Bill and the Treaty to Establishment Africa Economic Community Relating to Pan African Parliament (Accessions & joint solution) CAP T25 LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill. The list is endless.

Senator Ali Ndume has constituency projects spread across all nine local government areas in his senatorial district (Borno South) and other parts of the state. As a grassroots leader, he devotes most of his time thinking of strategies that would uplift the downtrodden members of the society and is always ready to stand alone, if the need be, to ensure that policies and progammes of government are tailored towards achieving the same goal of ensuring that the poor and vulnerable citizens ate carried along in governance.

Ndume has, on many occasions, run into ‘trouble’ with the powers that be, due to his views and stand on national issues which has led to several unpleasant outcomes like his removal as 10th Assembly Chief Whip among others, he has remained resolute and undeterred in his pursuit of what he believed to be the truth, equity, fairness and justice, a combination of factors that earned him African Leadership Scorecard Magazine Outstanding Lawmaker of the Month (December 2025).

Footnote: This article was first published in the December 2025 Edition of African Leadership Scorecard Magazine

Bonaventure Phillips Melah is the Publisher/CEO of African Leadership Scorecard Magazine; Nationwide Reports (online newspaper) and the Founder/Facilitator, Nigeria’s Pride Awards

Contact: Gmail: bonamelah123@gmail

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