Opposition coalition should worry Tinubu – Ndume
Senator Ali Ndume has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be worried over his 2027 presidential ambition given the ongoing moves by coalition forces seeking to challenge him. He spoke on the same day that key opposition figures who have not hidden their determination to challenge President Tinubu at the polls in the next […]
From left: Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; former President Muhammadu Buhari; former Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; and others, during a Sallah homage to Buhari at his Kaduna residence, yesterday
Senator Ali Ndume has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be worried over his 2027 presidential ambition given the ongoing moves by coalition forces seeking to challenge him.
He spoke on the same day that key opposition figures who have not hidden their determination to challenge President Tinubu at the polls in the next general elections, paid a visit to former president Muhammadu Buhari at his Kaduna residence.
They were led by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Senator Ndume stressed that Tinubu should be worried if ex-President Muhammadu Buhari is not on his side ahead of the 2027 election given his political influence and cult followership in the North.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, the lawmaker said although Buhari has just one vote, he remains an adorable figure in Northern Nigeria.
The senator said he was also planning a visit to Buhari.
He said while Buhari’s followership and political clout may have diminished having left office, his influence cannot be wished away.
He said, “Buhari’s followership has diminished naturally because it is different when you are not in power and after spending like eight years in power. Of course his popularity, everything has diminished, it is natural, but you can’t write him off especially with the Northern masses. The followership of Buhari has been occultic. You cannot explain it.
“If Buhari is coming here now, you will see people rushing to see. Everybody including those in the vegetable market will rush here. Buhari is still with the Talakawas
“Tinubu should be worried if Buhari is not on his side. Every number counts and Buhari has one vote. Tinubu should also be worried about my position because I have one vote for him. He does not have a vote for me.”
When asked on what political value or relevance Buhari has presently in today’s Nigeria, he said the fact that he is a former president with large followership among the masses in the North, cannot be wished away.
When told that Buhari did not support Tinubu in 2023, Ndume disagreed, saying, Buhari, though not actively involved on the field, supported Tinubu.
“But you know that I should know better than you on that. I know Buhari. If Buhari says he doesn’t like you, he even shows it on his face. He’s not the type of person that will play a double game. Maybe you could say he did not actively work for him. But definitely, he supported the president.
“And he has said it time and time again. Buhari is that type of person that if he’s not supporting you, he will tell you he’s not supporting you. So it’s just this side talk there. I’ve not discussed with him, but I know that he supported Tinubu”.
Asked whether he has plans to defect to SDP or PDP, Ndume said ‘no.’
On whether the ruling APC should be worried about the alleged move by the CPC block to pull out and join the SDP, Ndume said such threat should not be brushed aside, saying every vote matters.
Why gladiators are agitating to leave APC
He said the agitations by political gladiators to leave the ruling party was because their interests were not being served
“If people say that their interests will not be served very well in a particular place, they move, especially in Nigeria, where politics is more of a platform, not ideology. The people can move around and it doesn’t prick their conscience”, he said.
Ndume said the failure of the APC-led government to carry along those that worked for the victory of the party was one of the reasons causing the discontent.
He said two years into the government; many people feel they have been abandoned and don’t have access to the president.
Ndume said when he tried to draw the attention of the president, he was vilified and attacked instead of addressing the issue.
“Instead, you come back on the pages of the newspapers, start abusing the messenger, instead of addressing the message. And that’s very, very dangerous”, he added.
On Tinubu’s chances in 2027
When asked about the chances of President Tinubu in the 2027 election given the current state of affairs, Ndume said there should be cause for worry both on circumstantial and evidential grounds.
He said, “circumstantially and also evidently. Why I say circumstantially is because there is a global downturn that contributes to the economic downturn, increase in inflation and downturn in the value of the naira. And then, if you look at the presidency itself, being unable to carry people effectively, especially politicians…”.
I’m not afraid of backlash
Ndume said he knew his views would generate backlash but added that he was ready for it. “I don’t care. I said it before when I was on Arise TV.”
Borno security situation needs more attention
Speaking on the security situation in Borno and the North-East, Ndume said there was need for the security forces to intensify their efforts in tackling the security problems.
“The governor called an emergency meeting of the expanded security and what the governor said there is true. And he’s so worried about it,” Ndume said.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Presidency on the allegations were not successful as Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy and Daniel Bwala Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communications could not be reached for comments.
Also, text messages sent to their numbers was not replied to as at press time.
Government full of kleptocrats
Ndume said one of the problems with the Tinubu’s government is that it is filled with “kleptocrats instead of democrats”.
“I said it here before and I was really thinking whether I should say it again, even though I stand on it. If you have aristocrats and kleptocrats dominating the democratic space, you’ll have a problem.”
When asked if that was the situation in the Tinubu government, he said, “Yes, because the democrats have been abandoned. I said it before, it cost me my job. And I don’t know whether next, I will be expelled from the party for saying this”.
When asked if he was afraid, he said, “No, I’m not. I’ve tasted it before. Yes, several times. I’ve been to prison three times for speaking the truth”.
Ndume said he believed kleptocrats were in the system because things are not working and people are responsible for that.
He added: “And if it’s not working, who do you blame? Do you blame the president? When you say kleptocrats, it’s not like they are stealing. No. They are in government to make money.That’s what their focus is. Yes. So most of the time, they don’t care about what is actually going on. Their focus is what they can make.”
Atiku, El-Rufai, Tambuwal, others visit Buhari
Even as the dust about former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-rufai’s visit to former president, Muhammadu Buhari, is yet to settle, key figures in the opposition on Friday, paid a visit to the former president.
The political heavy weights include; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai among others.
The visit came amidst speculations that Atiku and others were planning to form a coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections to challenge the ruling party.
The delegation to the former president, however, denied the speculated political undertone explaining that the visit was just a post-Sallah courtesy call on the former president.
Nasir el-Rufai, in a post on his official X handle, said the delegation also joined other Muslim faithful to observe Juma’at prayers at the Yahaya Road Mosque.
El-Rufai listed other members of the delegation as captured in his post to include former governors – Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Achike Udenwa (Imo), Gabriel Suswam (Benue) and Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa).
“We were in Kaduna for post-Sallah courtesies to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We joined other faithful for Juma’at prayers at the Yahaya Road Mosque and had a sumptuous lunch at the Buhari residence.
“By the way, our adversaries should not lose any sleep. It is not about politics. It is about unity and brotherhood. And since we are all politically irrelevant, we just prayed and enjoyed lunch with our mentor,” he posted.
Atiku also shared details of the visit via his verified social media handles, describing it as a “wonderful time” with the former president.
“As the Wazirin Adamawa, I was obligated to be in Adamawa during the Sallah celebrations. I held forth for the Lamido Fombina (Adamawa) in some of the activities of the Sallah celebrations.
“Today, I had the opportunity to pay a post-Sallah visit to His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2015–2023). It was a wonderful time with him. As usual, he cracked me up to the extent that my ribs were hurting with his peculiar humour,” he said.
Speaking to journalists after the visit, Atiku clarified the purpose when asked about the presence of politicians from different political affiliations.
He said, “I have the right to be friends with anybody, whether political or non-political — they are all my friends.”
On speculations of a new political coalition, he added: “There is a plan for the major political parties to come together and form a strong opposition, but it is not part of this visit.”
El-Rufai came along with some loyalists, including Jimi Lawal and some of his former commissioners.
Previous moves
Top APC members who are aggrieved with the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration and key figures in the opposition are reported to have been meeting lately to deliberate on a platform for a possible coalition.
El-rufai’s visit to Buhari in March on a Friday not long after the former president relocated from his Daura abode to Kaduna confirmed that there was something in the offing.
All doubts were erased when days after the visit, the former Kaduna governor announced his defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and explained that his earlier visit to Buhari had been to inform the former president of his decision to leave the APC
In an interview with BBC, Hausa, El-Rufai, a founding member of the APC said: “I consulted Buhari on Friday and told him my reasons for leaving the APC and the responses of other people I consulted. Buhari responded that he was now a statesman but knew my worries; and prayed for me.”
Following El-Rufai’s comments, former President Buhari, through his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, reaffirmed his loyalty to the APC.
He said, “Without referring to any individual, a cast of characters or issues, principles and ideals currently being discussed by party leaders at various levels, the former president has reiterated what he said time without number: that he is a member of the All Progressives Congress and would like to be addressed as a loyal member of the party”.
Visit by APC governors
As if to counter whatever gain the opposition may have made with the El-Rufai earlier visit, governors from the APC paid a courtesy call on Buhari only a few days ago.
Governors present at the meeting included; Uba Sani (Kaduna), Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Nasir Idris (Kebbi), Monday Okpebholo (Edo), Ahmed Usman Ododo (Kogi), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Hyacinth Alia (Benue) and the Deputy Governor of Katsina State and the Minister of Budget and National Planning.
The APC Governors Forum chairman, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, described the visit as a sign of unity and strength within the party.
He emphasised the significance of the timing, coinciding with the end of Ramadan, Lent, and Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.
Uzodinma praised Buhari as a father figure in Nigerian politics and lauded his continued good health and leadership spirit.
Reports indicated that the governors wanted Buhari to intervene in stopping key members of the CPC bloc in the APC from defecting or joining a coalition against the second term bid of President Tinubu.
This is against the background of growing concerns about potential defections ahead of the 2027 general elections by the CPC bloc within the APC, Weekend Trust gathered.
Contributions from Mohammed Ibrahim Yaba, Kaduna & Baba Martins, Abuja.