President Bola Tinubu’s inner circle has come under fire from Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly. Ndume claims that the President is being mistreated by advisors who lack grassroots connections and political knowledge.
In an interview with ARISE Television’s Prime Time on Wednesday, Ndume stated that if immediate action is not taken to address the region’s growing discontent, there may be electoral repercussions.
Ndume declared, “Anyone who tells you that the North is not grumbling now is not telling the truth.” “If nothing is done about it, their votes will be loud.” The President has the ability to change things, which is a good thing.
The congressman noted that he personally attended talks between Tinubu and northern elders and stated that northern leaders had attempted to engage the President in a productive manner.
Elders in the North have begun reaching out. When the elders from the north traveled to see Mr. President, I participated in both his first and last meeting,” he remarked. “We had a great session, he was ready, and he brought all the important appointees from the North.”
Ndume claims that despite the President’s assurances, the engagement process soon came to a standstill.
“He said it would go on, but it never did,” he claimed.
Ndume claimed that the President’s issues are mostly caused by the quality of those in his immediate vicinity, even if he absolved Tinubu of direct responsibility.
“Are you aware of what I suspect? He stated, “The people who surround the President are the issue, not the President himself.”
He drew a comparison between Tinubu’s present leadership style and his tenure as Lagos State governor, which he claimed was distinguished by the presence of qualified and powerful advisors.
“The President was successful because he had good people around him when he was governor of Lagos,” Ndume stated. “The majority of the excellent folks have left. They have been neglected.
Ndume also chastised a few presidential aides for what he called their lack of national perspective and aristocratic seclusion.
He remarked, “He just picked people who don’t know anybody.” “They fly to London or America, where their families reside, from Ikoyi, Victoria Island, which is all they know.” They don’t even fully identify as Nigerians.
“Instead of bringing in his team that would look him in the face and tell him the truth, he decided to surround himself with people that don’t know politics,” he continued.
He cautioned that if the issues raised—especially in the North—are not resolved, the discontent may worsen and become more noticeable at the polls.
