…Says Inner Circle, not President, is the Problem
By Jeremy Fregene
A senior lawmaker and influential northern voice, Senator Ali Ndume, has warned that widespread anger is simmering across northern Nigeria against the administration of President Bola Tinubu and could translate into decisive electoral consequences in the 2027 general elections if urgent corrective steps are not taken.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News yesterday, the Borno South senator said those who claim that the North is calm or satisfied with the Tinubu government are “not speaking the truth,” stressing that the growing frustration in the region will ultimately be expressed at the ballot box.
“Anybody that tells you that the North is not grumbling now is not speaking the truth,” Ndume said. “How loud is that grumbling? It will be loud in their votes if nothing is done about it.”
Ndume, a ranking member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said while the situation remains salvageable, the President must demonstrate clear understanding of the grievances being raised and take visible steps to address them.
According to him, northern elders had previously sought direct engagement with President Tinubu shortly after he assumed office, in an effort to bridge growing discontent and strengthen inclusion in governance.
“The northern elders have been reaching out, and I was part of the first and last meeting with Mr President,” Ndume disclosed. “We went to him, and he too was prepared. He brought all the key northern appointees and we had a wonderful session. He promised that this would continue, but it never happened.”
The senator said the breakdown of that engagement reinforced feelings of alienation in the region and raised concerns about the influence of the President’s inner circle.
In his remarks, Ndume absolved Tinubu of direct responsibility for the growing dissatisfaction, instead placing the blame squarely on those surrounding him.
“I have said it before: the President is not the problem; it is the people around the President that are the problem,” he said.
Ndume lamented what he described as the sidelining of experienced political hands who worked closely with Tinubu during his years as Lagos State governor, arguing that their absence has weakened the administration’s political sensitivity and outreach.
“The President had good people around him when he was Governor of Lagos. That was why he succeeded. Most of those good people are not with him now; they have been sidelined,” he said.
According to the senator, the current crop of advisers and aides lack grassroots understanding and are detached from the everyday realities of Nigerians, particularly in the North.
“He just picked people that don’t know anybody,” Ndume said. “They know Ikoyi, they know Victoria Island. From there, they fly to London and America where their families are living. In that sense, they are not even full Nigerians like you and I.”
Ndume also reflected on Tinubu’s long political journey, noting that the President had, in the past, supported several northern presidential candidates before eventually insisting on his own turn to lead: an idea that later crystallised into the popular ‘Emilokan’ slogan.
However, he argued that rather than assembling a team strong enough to challenge him with hard truths, Tinubu had opted for loyalists lacking political depth.
“Instead of bringing in a team that will look at him in the face and tell him the truth, he decided to surround himself with people that don’t know politics,” Ndume said.
The senator’s remarks come amid growing political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections, with analysts increasingly pointing to the North as a critical battleground whose voting behaviour could shape the future of the Tinubu presidency.