The persistent criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration by Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume has reportedly angered influential figures within the Presidency.
According to sources speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, these figures, upset by Ndume’s comments about a new cabal in the Presidential Villa, have begun steps to censure him.
Ndume, who represents Borno South, recently expressed concerns that President Tinubu has been “caged” by a cabal within the Presidential Villa, preventing ministers and other key officials from accessing him directly. He also argued that these forces are out of touch with the economic hardships faced by Nigerians due to current policies.
In response, a coordinated effort involving the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senate President Godswill Akpabio is reportedly underway to reprimand Ndume for his statements, which they consider embarrassing to the President and damaging to the ruling party’s image.
Ndume had stated, “The President should wake up. It seems he isn’t aware of what is happening because he has been caged off by plutocrats. He should open his doors and meet those who will tell him the truth. Unfortunately, the people who will tell him the truth won’t struggle to meet him. I am very worried, not only for the President himself but also for myself.”
The APC National Working Committee condemned Ndume over the weekend, accusing him of making outrageous allegations against the current administration. In a statement issued on Saturday, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka dismissed Ndume’s claims that Tinubu has been caged in the Villa and described the lawmaker as an attention seeker.
A party source disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune that a former lawmaker, now a presidential aide, who prompted the party to issue the statement against Senator Ndume, is also pressuring the Senate President to take punitive action against Ndume to force him to retract what Villa forces described as his unnecessary antagonism towards the President.
Multiple sources revealed that Akpabio has been instructed to announce a reorganization of existing Senate Committees, which could see Ndume removed from his position as deputy chairman of the Committee on Appropriation. Ndume may also lose his position as Senate Chief Whip.
According to sources familiar with the plot, “Akpabio is in a dilemma. Ndume was the Director General of the Stability Group, the campaign team that ensured Akpabio’s emergence as Senate President. Moving against Ndume could polarize his loyal team.”
The sources added that such actions, following the recent suspension and recall of Senator Ningi, could send a wrong signal to the Northern Caucus, suggesting they are being targeted by the Tinubu presidency through its allies in the National Assembly.
The sources further revealed that some South-West senators, often referred to as Tinubu loyalists in the Red Chamber, have been pressured into supporting the orchestrated plot against Ndume. A source noted, “These same lawmakers, who ensured the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi, are now pressuring Akpabio to comply with the demand to curb Ndume.”
