Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly, has warned that rising dissatisfaction across Northern Nigeria could translate into electoral backlash if urgent steps are not taken to address the region’s concerns.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on ARISE Television’s Prime Time, Ndume said widespread “grumbling” in the North is real and should not be ignored, stressing that voters could express their frustrations at the ballot box.
“Anybody that tells you that the North is not grumbling now is not telling the truth,” the senator said. “It will be loud in their votes if nothing is done about it. The good thing is that the President can still turn things around.”
Ndume also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s inner circle, alleging that the President is being poorly advised by aides who lack political insight and grassroots connections.
While he stopped short of blaming Tinubu directly, the lawmaker said the President’s challenges stem largely from the quality of people surrounding him.
“The President is not the problem; it is the people around the President that are the problem,” Ndume stated.
He recalled that northern leaders had attempted to engage Tinubu constructively, noting that he personally participated in meetings between the President and northern elders.
“In the North, elders have been reaching out. I was part of the first and the last meetings with Mr. President,” he said, adding that Tinubu had invited key northern appointees to the discussions, which he described as productive.
However, Ndume said the engagement process stalled despite assurances from the President.
“He promised that it would continue, but it never happened,” he added.
The senator compared Tinubu’s current leadership environment to his time as governor of Lagos State, arguing that the President previously benefited from strong and capable advisers.
“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,” Ndume said.
He further accused some presidential aides of being disconnected from ordinary Nigerians, describing them as elitist and isolated from national realities.
“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,” he said.
According to Ndume, unless the growing concerns—particularly in the North—are urgently addressed, public dissatisfaction could deepen and significantly impact future elections.
