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Ali Ndume, a prominent member of the Nigerian Senate, has once again taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of being populated by individuals he described as “kakistocrats and kleptocrats,” and lacking people bold enough to speak truth to power.
Speaking on Arise News Tuesday evening, Ndume criticised Tinubu for what he described as a flawed approach to governance, particularly in the composition of his cabinet and reliance on loyalists rather than competent individuals.
“You see, that was where Mr. President got it wrong. You don’t form your government with dependence,” Ndume said while recalling how former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was treated during his ministerial nomination. “I told you I’m not El-Rufai’s fan or friend or anything, but truth must be told.”
Ndume, a long-serving senator from Borno State, said Tinubu must recognise that transitioning from a political kingmaker to an executive leader comes with a need for checks and honest feedback.
“The President is a kingmaker, remember? So when the kingmaker becomes a king, then there is a problem which he must identify himself so that he can have people that will stand up to him and tell him the truth. This is now what is lacking in this government,” he said.
“And I still stand on it—until there is a change, the government of Tinubu is dominated by kakistocrats and kleptocrats.”
Reacting to recent remarks by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, who referred to him as a “frustrated lone wolf,” Ndume dismissed the comment with scorn and reaffirmed his political standing.
Read also: Influx of defectors could destabilise APC, Ndume warns
“Bayo Onanuga is just in Nigeria. He is a domestic staff to the president. I am a senator four times. How dare he calls me— but I’m happy he called me lone wolf,” he said.
“No, I’m not frustrated. I contested to be a senator. I won four times. I won two times in the House of Representatives.”
The senator described his journey in politics as a testament to grit and divine favour. “I am a son of nobody who became somebody without knowing anybody. Ask the president. I’m not one of his dependents. I’m his ally,” Ndume stated.
He added that if the roles were reversed, Tinubu himself would have protested against some of the decisions currently being made by his administration.
“If we were to swap position, and I’m the president, doing the same thing that he is doing now, he would have been on the street. He has done it before… if the wrong thing is happening,” he said.
Despite overtures from individuals within the presidency, Ndume said he would not be swayed. “Even today, somebody from the government is saying, look, why don’t you come over? I say, I will not come over. I’m a senator. Under normal democratic settings, the president is supposed to lobby me on issues, because he doesn’t have a vote for me.”
