Tinubu’s aides hijacking presidency with lies – Ndume

Prominent Nigerian lawmaker and former Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, has raised serious concerns about the growing influence of certain aides within President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Ndume claims that some members of the president’s inner circle are dishonest, incompetent, and working against the best interests of the country.

Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television program aired on Sunday, the outspoken senator did not hold back in expressing his frustration. He accused some top aides of misleading President Tinubu and contributing to a decline in the administration’s public image.

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According to Ndume, the presidency appears to have been “kidnapped” by individuals who are more concerned with personal gain than with national development. He lamented that these aides are not only out of touch with the needs of ordinary Nigerians but are also making critical decisions that do not reflect the president’s original vision.

“I see people lying and telling the president what he wants to hear,” the Borno South senator said. “My position is that the people who are supposed to help him are the ones deceiving him or damaging his image.”

Ndume, a vocal figure in the National Assembly, didn’t mince words, describing those allegedly in control of government affairs as kleptocrats people who exploit political power for personal gain and kakistocrats individuals who are grossly unqualified to hold office.

“They are unrealistic people. I said it before, and I’m not changing my position until they change or the president does something,” he stated. “Kakistocrats are people holding positions they are not supposed to be in, while kleptocrats are those in politics for personal gain, not public service.”

Though he declined to name specific individuals, Ndume warned that the consequences of their actions are already manifesting across the country.

He also highlighted a disconnect between President Tinubu and everyday Nigerians, especially in light of the current economic hardship. According to him, Tinubu is shielded from the daily realities of the public and receives filtered information that downplays the level of suffering among citizens.

“The president cannot go out to the streets like I do and know how the people feel,” he said. “Even outside the villa, they would drive him in tinted glass so he doesn’t even see what is going on. People are not happy, and the president himself is not pretending. He acknowledges there is hardship and has asked Nigerians to be patient.”

Ndume urged the president to pay more attention to lawmakers and public servants with grassroots access, stressing that valuable intelligence often comes from those closest to the ground.

“It is the people like us who represent the public that should be listened to. Intelligence should come from those who are close to the ground. Things are very bad in the country,” he warned.