Senator Ali Ndume has accused President Bola Tinubu’s aides of misleading him and harming his image through poor advice and selfish actions.
Ndume, who represents Borno South in the Senate, made the statement during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday.
He said the people around the president are not helping him but instead giving him false information and protecting their own interests.
“I see people lying and telling the president what he wants to hear. My position is that the people who are supposed to help him are the ones deceiving him or damaging his image,” Ndume said.
The former Senate Chief Whip added that the presidency has been hijacked by what he described as kleptocrats—those who are in power for personal gain—and kakistocrats—people who are not qualified for their positions.
“They are unrealistic people. I still believe the government is more or less dominated by kleptocrats and even kakistocrats,” he said.
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Ndume refused to name specific individuals but insisted that the situation is clear and serious. He also said that the president may not fully understand how hard things have become for ordinary Nigerians because he is cut off from everyday life.
“The president cannot go out to the streets like I do and know how the people feel. Even outside the villa, they would drive him in tinted glass so he doesn’t even see what is going on,” Ndume said.
He warned that the hardship in the country is growing and said Tinubu must listen more to lawmakers and people with strong ties to local communities.
“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 added.
Ndume also acknowledged that Tinubu has admitted that there is hardship and asked Nigerians to be patient. But the senator believes that without better advice from trusted and experienced people, the crisis could get worse.