‘Kakistocrats’ Will Keep Messing Up Tinubu Unless He Acts — Ndume

Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has warned President Bola Tinubu to remove what he called “kakistocrats” from key positions within the Presidency, saying their continued influence could expose the administration to further problems and embarrassment.

The senator spoke while commenting on the composition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, which he said failed to resolve his concerns about the capability of some officials working closely with the President.

“My concern remains that the President has so many kakistocrats dominating the presidency. Unless he does something about it, they will continue to mess him up,” Ndume said.

He referenced recent controversies surrounding a government agency and the suspension of a permanent secretary in the Presidency, saying the incidents demonstrated shortcomings in the administration.

“We had a fake agency operating with an office, and after the ICPC investigated, they discovered even more. A permanent secretary in the presidency had to be suspended,” he said.

While giving Tinubu credit for permitting the investigation, Ndume said the President must do more to ensure such situations do not recur.

“That is where I give the President credit, but I insist that if he had capable hands, all this mess and embarrassment wouldn’t be happening. He is still not taking the appropriate action on it,” he said.

The senator also criticised the decision to make Tinubu chairman of the APC presidential campaign council, arguing that the party, rather than the candidate, should lead the campaign.

“People put up the presidential campaign committee. If I had the ear of Mr President, there was no need for a presidential campaign committee,” Ndume said.

He argued that the APC national leadership should be responsible for marketing the President’s achievements to voters ahead of the 2027 poll.

“The President is the product of the party. The owner of a product should be the one selling the product, not the product selling itself,” he said.

“He shouldn’t be on it; it should be the National Chairman of the party.”

Ndume further questioned whether the President was fully consulted before the campaign council was constituted, pointing to the complaints that emerged after its announcement.

“From what happened, you can see that even the President was not fully aware. Why would there be complaints?” he asked.

The senator maintained that his position was not based on personal interests or party politics but on his concerns about the direction of Nigerian politics.

“I know the man. But why am I worried? It’s not about my party; it’s about politics in Nigeria,” he said.

On the economy, Ndume defended the Tinubu administration’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy, saying the policy was necessary despite the hardship it has created for Nigerians.

He said Nigerians largely understood the need for subsidy removal but were now facing the consequences through rising living costs.

“The President himself acknowledged that there is hardship as a result of the policies, but promised Nigerians that there will be light at the end of the tunnel,” Ndume said.

According to him, the prolonged economic difficulties could pose a serious challenge for the APC as the 2027 elections approach, especially as Nigerians await the relief promised by the administration.

Ndume also criticised some presidential aides for allegedly worsening the government’s public image by attacking critics personally rather than responding to the issues they raise.

“We are saying that the staff or people he has around him are the major problem. Instead of talking about ideas and events, they have small minds and talk about people,” he said.

He urged presidential spokespersons to focus on the substance of criticism and respond to specific concerns instead of insulting those who criticise the government.

“When anybody makes a statement, the President’s spokespersons rush on TV to insult the person and call them names. That is not it,” he said.

“You take the points that person made about the system one after the other.”

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