Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South, has hinted at the possibility of leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) if President Bola Tinubu does not take effective steps to address Nigeria’s pressing issues.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, Ndume, who previously served as the Director-General of the Rotimi Amaechi Presidential Campaign, did not hold back his criticisms of the current administration. He also took a swipe at former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, suggesting that El-Rufai’s current political troubles are a result of his decision to abandon Amaechi during the APC presidential primaries.
Ndume expressed his dissatisfaction with the direction the country is heading under Tinubu’s leadership, warning that unresolved national issues might compel him to exit the APC. He stated, “If I decide to leave the APC, I will not hide it. I still believe President Tinubu can fix things. Failure to fix those things may cause me to leave the APC.”
He further warned against the unchecked influx of politicians into the APC, suggesting that accommodating too many interests could harm the party’s stability. “If Tinubu continues this way, it doesn’t matter if he loads more people or governors, you are just endangering the APC. When you overload a ship, it might lead to the capsizing of the party,” he cautioned.
Turning his attention to El-Rufai, Ndume reflected on how the former governor initially backed Amaechi’s candidacy before shifting his allegiance to Tinubu. He said, “El-Rufai was supposed to be on our side but somehow, he moved over. I think these are part of the things that are annoying or frustrating him. He was on Amaechi’s side. Before Tinubu was nominated, he made up his mind to support Tinubu, and Tinubu, as he rightly said, told him to stay and join the government.”
Ndume also recounted El-Rufai’s failed ministerial bid, suggesting it was a form of political karma. “As Senate Chief Whip, we almost gave him a smooth pass during his screening, but his nomination was eventually rejected. Sometimes, I’ll say, ‘okay o, you did that to us, it’s payback to yourself’.”
El-Rufai, now a member of the opposition Social Democratic Party, has become increasingly critical of Tinubu’s administration after being left out of his cabinet.
