Sen. Ali Ndume: The Chief Whip Who was Whipped, by Abdulkadir Salaudeen

Senator Ali Ndume was the Chief Whip of the Senate. His party (APC)—being the majority party—has recently received many whips from Ndume whose bluntness on the Nigeria’s state of affairs is well known. Though his bluntness is well received by the suffering masses, the government in which he is a key actor cannot bear Ndume’s whip anymore.

Ndume has been saying the unsayable. He has been discomforting his colleagues at the National Assembly by speaking the hard truth. The Tinubu’s suffering-for-all government is not happy with an insider who behaves like a fifth columnist. He must be cut to size. To do that, Ndume’s whip was taken away from him. The Chief Whip who was assigned to whip was whipped for whipping (doing his job) by those he called kakistocrats and kleptocrats.

What was Ndume’s offence? He said the obvious: “This government is going down.””This government is populated by kakistocrats and kleptocrats.””I don’t believe he (President Tinubu)is in the true picture of what is out there.”He also claimed the President is being shielded to the extent that people like him, and even some ministers, cannot have audience with him (Tinubu).

Aside from shielding Tinubu, according to Ndume, the kakistocrats and kleptocrats around him continue to give him assurance that everything is right out there. These people must be dangerous. But who are these Kakistocrats and kleptocrats? Ndume did not mention them and there is no need to do so since they are many—it is a long list.

But we learnt, through dictionaries, that Kakistocrats are worst and least qualified citizens who control government and make policies. No wonder the masses cannot breathe! The kleptocrats are said to be corrupt and dishonest people in government who can steal anything (stealable or not stealable) due to their greediness which is essentially pathological. It is no surprise the government is going down!

Now that our President is surrounded by clowns (if Ndume is right), what is the way out? Ndume advised that the President needs those who will look into his eyes and tell him the truth. But telling the truth to a government that is populated by kakistocrats and kleptocrats is like committing suicide. That is exactly what Ndume did and the whip slipped off his hand.

Citing some cases to buttress his point, Ndume explained that President Tinubu, whom he had known for many years, has a listening ear and bows to superior argument. I don’t know how to agree with Ndume on this. What kind of superior argument? To inflict more pain or to abate hardship?

Perhaps, the superior argument Ndume had in mind during the interview has to do with how to inflict the most traumatizing pain on the masses. I wonder how and why President Tinubu was/is influenced by the “superior argument” that palliative—which is meant to be a temporary measure—should be a permanent feature of his government to abate sufferings in the land. And this is a government supposedly populated by technocrats, best brains, and best minds.

However, going by what has become the lots of MOST Nigerians under this regime, it is logical to conclude that Tinubu government, despite the sterling credentials of its appointees, is actually populated by kakistocrats and kleptocrats. On this, Ndume is right.

But isn’t Ndume also a kakistocrat and a kleptocrat? I don’t know if he had turned a new leaf. When he was interviewed two months ago on Channels TV, he said: “We politicians (even if you call us anything) if you compare us to all the corruption, our own is a very small one. Our corruption is people driven. You steal all the money, you go and share it to the people.”

From the interview quote above, it is obvious that Ndume fits the definition of kleptocrat. It is possible he is not a kakistocrat. Even as a kleptocrat, he must be a benevolent one. Because the stealing and corruption Ndume engages in is a people-driven one. Don’t laugh! And due to his ability to speak the truth even when that is against his party (the ruling party), shows that Ndume is qualified to be the best among the worst people we elected as leaders but choose to rule us. For speaking on behalf of the masses in this trying time where no one is willing to speak among the ruling class, Ndume deserves our thumbs up. I cannot hide my admiration for him.

As it is, in most cases, with those in government, any criticism against them is considered sponsored criticism. Disturbed about the battered image of this government which many consider worst in Nigerian history, Ndume claimed he asked those in the presidency if they are aware that people are angry and of what the youth are planning to do (to revolt).The response he got, Ndume lamented, was “yes,”—they are aware—”it is the work of opposition.”

If it is true that Tinubu is being told “all is well” and he is oblivious of the hardship in the land, it is better for the youth to tell him that all is not well. I am aware that some Muslim clerics (whether paid by government or not paid) are condemning this youth who want to cry (protest)—which is the natural reaction to being whipped—under the unceasing whip of this government. Rather than condemn the youth, let’s guide them on how to cry (protest). It is both democratic and constitutional to protest.

That said, let’s join Ndume to tell this government that all is not well! This government is going down!

Abdulkadir Salaudeen

salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com