The Presidency has strongly criticized Senator Ali Ndume over his recent comments describing President Bola Tinubu’s media aides as “attack dogs.”
Senator Ndume, who represents Borno South, had in a recent interview faulted President Tinubu’s appointments, accusing him of sidelining constitutional provisions and failing to uphold the federal character principle. The lawmaker warned that unless the President reversed the trend of lopsided appointments, the consequences could be dire.
Ndume further urged the President’s aides, whom he labelled “attack dogs,” to refute his claims with facts instead of launching personal attacks against him.
In a swift reaction, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, lashed out at the senator, describing him as a “frustrated politician.”
“It is amusing how a frustrated politician would appear on television addressing government spokesmen as attack dogs more than seven times without being cautioned or advised by the anchor,” Bwala wrote on his 𝕏 handle. “He was reeling out falsehood and disinformation without being fact-checked. But when a government spokesman attempts to rebut these claims, he is interrupted before completing a sentence—like a broken cassette tape from the 1980s. Sad.”
Bwala also took aim at the television station that hosted the interview, accusing it of allowing Ndume to repeatedly use derogatory language unchecked.
However, Bwala’s remarks drew criticism from Umar Sani, former spokesperson to ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo. Sani faulted Bwala’s choice of words, describing Ndume as a respected and principled politician.
“Senator Ali Ndume is an accomplished politician who is not known for being frivolous,” Sani said. “While in the PDP, he consistently criticized policies he considered unconstitutional or anti-people. He is merely being himself and is unlikely to stop. I don’t think he has exhibited any form of frustration; his people love him.”
The back-and-forth reflects ongoing tensions within political circles over the Tinubu administration’s appointments and how government critics are addressed by presidential aides.
