Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South in the National Assembly, has raised concerns over growing dissatisfaction in Nigeria’s North, warning that if the unrest is not addressed, it could have electoral consequences.
Ndume made the comments on Wednesday during an interview on ARISE Television’s Prime Time, while also criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s inner circle. He alleged that the President is poorly served by advisers lacking political experience and grassroots connections.
“Anybody that tells you that the North is not grumbling now is not telling the truth,” Ndume said. “It will be loud in their votes if nothing is done about it. The good thing is that the President can turn things around.”
The lawmaker highlighted that northern leaders have made efforts to engage the President constructively, noting that he personally participated in meetings between Tinubu and northern elders.
“In the North, northern elders have been reaching out. I was part of the first and last meetings with Mr. President when northern elders went to him,” Ndume said. “He was prepared. He brought all the critical appointees from the North, and we had a wonderful session.”
However, Ndume said the engagement process stalled despite assurances from the President. “He promised that it would continue, but it never happened,” he added.
While absolving Tinubu of direct blame, Ndume argued that the President’s challenges largely stem from the calibre of people around him.
“You know what I’m suspecting? The President is not the problem; it is the people around the President that are the problem,” he said. “The President had good people around him when he was governor of Lagos; that was why he succeeded. Most of the good people are not there now. They have been sidelined.”
He further criticized some presidential aides for elitist isolation and a lack of national outlook.
“He just picked people that don’t know anybody. They only know Ikoyi and Victoria Island. And from there, they fly to London or America where their families are living. They are not even full Nigerians. Instead of bringing in a team that would tell him the truth, he surrounded himself with people who don’t know politics,” Ndume said.
He warned that unless the concerns being raised, particularly in the North, are addressed, dissatisfaction could deepen and strongly influence the outcome at the polls.
Ndume’s warning reflects growing political tension and the need for urgent engagement with northern communities.
Elijah Adeyemi
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