The presidency has condemned Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, over claims that President Bola Tinubu’s appointments are lopsided and do not follow the constitution.
The fiery senator said unless the President corrected his skewed appointments, it would boomerang. He stressed that he criticized Tinubu because it was his Constitutional duty.
In his reaction, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post via 𝕏 on Tuesday, said Ndume forgot to speak about two of his kinsmen who recently clinched top roles in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
Onanuga asserted that Ndume is allergic to facts and addicted to theatrics.
Tinubu’s aide also stated that Ndume’s habit of firing half-baked criticisms only to be contradicted by facts proves he is more interested in headline-chasing, divisive narratives than offering constructive criticism.
Onanuga noted that President Tinubu is deeply committed to fostering a government that embraces all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or regional affiliations, adding that Ndume should elevate public discourse, avoid misinformation and baseless criticism.
He wrote, “Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called “lopsided appointments” by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception.
“While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he forgot to tell his interviewer that two of his kinsmen featured in recent NNPC Limited top appointments. The Chairman, appointed by President Tinubu, is from Ndume’s senatorial district. If Tinubu and his surrogates’ choices are so “tribal,” how did two of Ndume’s kinsmen clinch NNPC’s top roles?
“As a politician, Ndume has proven time and time again that he is allergic to facts and addicted to theatrics. His habit of firing half-baked criticisms—only to be contradicted by facts—proves he’s more interested in headline-chasing, rabble rousing, stoking divisive narratives than offering constructive criticism.
“President Tinubu is deeply committed to fostering a government that embraces all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or regional affiliations. He aims to harness our nation’s diverse strengths to achieve a common goal: building a prosperous Nigeria. The President’s appointments are—and will continue to be—based on merit, integrity, geographical spread and a demonstrable capacity to serve the Nigerian people, not Ndume’s cherry-picked tribal arithmetic.
“We urge Ndume to elevate public discourse and avoid misinformation and baseless criticism. This is a disservice to the nation and the behaviour least expected from a Nigerian Senator.”
