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Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South in the National Assembly, has issued a strong warning about growing dissatisfaction in Northern Nigeria, cautioning that if the concerns of the region are not addressed promptly, it could significantly influence upcoming elections.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE Television’s *Prime Time* program on Wednesday, Ndume underscored the palpable unrest in the North and pointed to the potential political consequences.
“Anybody that tells you the North is not grumbling now is not telling the truth,” Ndume said. “It will be loud in their votes if nothing is done about it. The good thing about it is that the President can turn things around.”
The senator revealed that northern leaders have engaged President Bola Tinubu in constructive dialogue to address the region’s frustrations, an effort he himself was part of.
“In the North, elders have been reaching out. I was part of the first and last meetings with Mr. President when northern elders went to him,” Ndume said.
“He was prepared. He brought all the critical appointees from the North, and we had a wonderful session.”
However, Ndume lamented that despite initial assurances from the presidency to continue the dialogue, follow-up engagement stalled. “He promised that it would continue, but it never happened,” he added.
While stopping short of placing direct blame on President Tinubu, Ndume criticized the President’s advisers, accusing them of failing to understand political realities and lacking grassroots connections.
“You know what I’m suspecting? The President is not the problem; it is the people around the President that are the problem,” Ndume said.
Contrasting Tinubu’s current team with his administration as Lagos State governor, Ndume said, “The President had good people around him when he was governor of Lagos; that was why he succeeded. Most of the good people are not there now. They have been sidelined.”
He further accused some aides of elitism and disconnect from the broader Nigerian populace:
“He just picked people that don’t know anybody. They only know Ikoyi and Victoria Island. And from there, they fly to London or America where their families are living. They are not even full Nigerians.
“Instead of bringing in his team that would look at him in the face and tell him the truth, he decided to surround himself with people that don’t know politics.”
Senator Ndume warned that if the government fails to address pressing issues, particularly in the North, the current dissatisfaction risks deepening and influencing voter behavior in consequential ways.
With the political landscape heating up, Ndume’s message serves as a reminder that regional discontent is not merely rhetoric but a potential catalyst for electoral change if left unattended.
