“I’m not one of his dependents. I’m his ally. If we were to swap positions, and I’m the President doing what he’s doing now, Tinubu would have been on the street. He has done it before — protesting even against governments he supported,” Ndume said.

Ndume stressed that as a senator, and should be lobbied by the executive rather than coerced.

He recalled that even members of the administration had tried to woo him over to the President’s camp.

“Somebody from the government asked me to come over, and I said no. I’m a Senator. Under a proper democracy, the President should lobby me. He doesn’t vote for me — I vote on his proposals,” he said.

According to the outspoken lawmaker,and a belief that power comes from God, not man.

“I believe it is God that gives or takes away power. My religion teaches me to speak the truth even if I’m alone, and that’s what I’m doing in APC now,” he stated.

Responding to criticisms that he is being too harsh on the government, Ndume replied pointedly: “They say I’m hitting too hard. I asked, ‘Did I use a physical punch on anybody?’”