Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s advisers, warning that northern grievances could shape voter behavior if left unaddressed.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE Television’s Prime Time on Wednesday, January 28, monitored by The News Chronicle Ndume said the President is being poorly served by aides lacking political experience and grassroots connections.
“Anybody that tells you the North is not grumbling is not telling the truth,” Ndume said. “It will be loud in their votes if nothing is done. The good thing is, the President can turn things around.”
Ndume revealed that northern leaders have repeatedly tried to engage Tinubu constructively, with the senator himself attending initial meetings between the President and northern elders.
“He was prepared, he brought all the critical Northern appointees, and we had a productive session,” Ndume recalled. “He promised continuity, but it never happened.”
While he absolved Tinubu of direct blame, Ndume argued that the real problem lies with those surrounding him.
“You know what I suspect? The President is not the problem; it’s the people around him,” he said, contrasting Tinubu’s current team with the strong advisers he had as Lagos State governor.
“The President had capable people around him in Lagos—that’s why he succeeded. Most of the good ones are not there now; they have been sidelined.”
Ndume also criticised certain presidential aides for elitist isolation and a narrow outlook.
“They only know Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and from there they fly to London or America, where their families live. They are not fully in touch with Nigeria,” he said. “Instead of having a team that would speak truth to him, he surrounded himself with people who don’t know politics.”
The senator warned that if northern concerns continue to be ignored, voter dissatisfaction could deepen and have significant consequences at the polls.
