Senator Ali Ndume, the lawmaker representing Borno South, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of being hijacked by “kleptocrats” and “kakistocrats.”
Ndume said those surrounding President Tinubu are doing more harm than good.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, Ndume alleged that key figures in Tinubu’s administration are driven by self-interest.
“I see people lying and telling the President what he wants to hear.
“My position is that the people who are supposed to help him are the ones deceiving him or damaging his image,” he said.
According to him, rather than acting as a support system, the President’s aides — whom he described as unrealistic people — have effectively “kidnapped” the presidency.
Ndume said, “They are unrealistic people. I said it before and I’m not changing my position until they change or the President does something. I still believe the government is more or less dominated by kleptocrats and even kakistocrats.”
Asked to explain the terms he used to describe Tinubu’s aides, Ndume said, “Kakistocrats are people holding positions they are not supposed to be in, while kleptocrats are those in politics for personal gain, not public service.”
He added that the Tinubu administration appears oblivious to Nigerian’s plight, saying there’s a disconnect between the presidency and the hardship Nigerians are facing.
“The President cannot go out to the streets like myself and know how the people feel. Even outside the villa, they would drive him in tinted glass so he doesn’t even see what is going on.
“People are not happy, and the President himself is not pretending. He acknowledges there is hardship and has asked Nigerians to be patient.”
Ndume has been critical of President Tinubu’s government lately.
In April, Ndume faulted Tinubu’s appointment, saying it does not comply with the federal character principle.
He said that each time he spoke about Tinubu’s government, “so-called Tinubu boys” always came for him.
