Published on June 26, 2026
By Matthew Atungwu
Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, has said that President Bola Tinubu’s main challenge is having aides and associates around him who are unable to tell him when he is wrong.
Ndume made this known while speaking during an interview on Trust TV on Friday, where he also claimed he has only met President Bola Tinubu twice since he assumed office in 2023.
According to him, most of those around the President are financially dependent on him, a situation he believes weakens honest advice and accountability within the administration.
“The president knows me to some extent. I give it to him that he has so much to do. Since 2023, I have met the president only twice. I said it before that Tinubu’s problem is the people around him,” Ndume said.
He further alleged that a large proportion of the President’s close associates were already dependent on him before he assumed office, making it difficult for them to challenge his decisions.
“I can tell you authoritatively that 95% of people around Tinubu are his dependents even before he became the president. He was taking care of them, and that is one of the problems of his government. When you have people around you that are your dependents, they cannot look you in the face and say, Mr President, this cannot work,” he added.
Samuel Agada is a writer and media contributor from Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Jos and a former banker with GTBank and FCMB. A prolific writer, songwriter, educator, and Gospel preacher, he is passionate about informing, inspiring, and impacting society through his work.