‘The People Around The President Are The Problem’ – Ndume

The lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, Senator Ali Ndume, has warned that the northern region is increasingly dissatisfied ahead of the 2027 general elections, stating that the discontent may manifest at the ballot box if not addressed.

Naijaonpoint reports that Ndume made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Prime Time, a programme aired on Arise Television.

The lawmaker said the northern region feels neglected and may resort to expressing their displeasure through their votes in the next electoral cycle.

The senator, however, exonerated President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the issue lies not with the President but with some members of his inner circle.

Ndume said, “I think Mr President, as a politician, as somebody who has gone through it all, is strategising to win the election, but not to declare himself as the winner. No, that will not work because you only do that when you are acceptable to the people. And there is a resemblance.

“But in the North, if anybody tells you that the North is not grumbling now, he’s not speaking the truth. The grumbling will be loud in their votes if nothing is done about it.

“The good thing about it is, I’ve said it here before, that the President can change things. He can turn things around. The Northern elders have been willing; they have been reaching out. I was part of the meeting that we had, the first and the last meeting with Mr President, where northern elders, you know, went to him and then he, too, was prepared.

“And so he brought all the appointees from the North, critical appointees from the North, and we had a wonderful session.

“And he promised that such would continue, but it never happened. And what I’m suspecting is, as I’ve said before, the President is not the problem. It is the people around the President who are the problem.”