The lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, Senator Ali Ndume, has warned that dissatisfaction is growing in Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ndume made the remark on Wednesday during an interview on Prime Time, a programme aired on Arise Television, noting that the growing discontent in the region could translate into votes against the ruling government if urgent steps are not taken.
According to the senator, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not personally responsible for the situation, but rather those surrounding him.
“I think Mr President, as a seasoned politician who has gone through it all, is strategising to win the election, not to declare himself the winner. That only works when you are acceptable to the people,” Ndume said.
He stressed that claims that the North is satisfied with the current state of affairs are misleading, adding that the region’s frustration is real and deepening.
“In the North, anyone who tells you that the North is not grumbling now is not speaking the truth. The grumbling will be loud in their votes if nothing is done about it,” he warned.
Ndume, however, expressed optimism that the situation could still be reversed, noting that the President has the capacity to turn things around. He revealed that Northern elders have made efforts to engage the President and were initially encouraged by his response.
“I was part of the meeting we had with Mr President, where Northern elders met him. He, in turn, invited key appointees from the North, and we had a very productive session. He promised that such engagements would continue, but it never happened,” Ndume stated.
He reiterated his position that the challenges confronting the administration stem not from the President himself, but from the influence and actions of those around him.
