I Did Not Slap State Lawmaker, Says Ndume

Senator Ali Ndume has denied slapping a member of the Borno House of Assembly, Bukar Daja-Ali, representing Damboa at a political gathering in Maiduguri.

Ndume, representing Borno central in the Senate, told journalists on Friday in Maiduguri that the allegations were false.

The Borno State House of Assembly had adjourned for one month pending investigation into the slapping allegation against Senator Ndume.

A statement issued by Hon. Abdulkareem Lawan, Speaker of the Assembly, alleged that the senator slapped their colleague at a political meeting.

However, Ndume has described the allegation as “falsehood”, aimed at tarnishing his good name for mischievous reasons.

“Several people have been calling me saying they saw some news circulating in the media alleging that I slapped one Habu Dala-Aliyu.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I cannot remember meeting any member named Habu Dala-Aliyu, as erroneously circulating on the media. The purported writer forgot to spell Bukar Daja-Ali, the acclaimed member correctly.

“Honestly, the member is not telling the truth, there was nothing like that. I never slapped anybody.

“What happened was that the member came to my house for a meeting along with some hoodlums who began pouring all sort of insults at me in front of everybody.

“I was going to meet the hoodlums to demand why they came to my house to insult me when the member tried to stop me.

“The only thing I did was to tell him not to touch me.

“I then angrily asked him why he came with people into my house to insult me after which I went inside my house,” Ndume said.

The senator said the seeming altercation happened in the presence of all those who were in the house at the time, adding that he at no point slapped the lawmaker.

He also challenged the state assembly or anybody to provide evidence of his slapping the lawmaker.