Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration, describing it as being led by kakistocrats—individuals considered the least qualified and most unscrupulous—and kleptocrats, who are in power primarily to steal.
Ndume, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, voiced his concerns during an interview on Arise TV on Friday.
“I’m supposed to be one of the top members of this government. I have a personal relationship with Mr. President dating back long (sic). We believed in Renewed Hope. But as I said, I speak straight. This government is going down because it is now run by kakistocrats. Kakistocrats is a government run by the worst, least qualified, and most unscrupulous citizens. This government is run by kakistocrats and kleptocrats,” Ndume said.
Despite Tinubu’s initial intentions with the Renewed Hope Agenda, Ndume argued that achieving these goals requires a team that shares a similar vision.
“Unfortunately, that is not what the President is up to; he really meant renewed hope, but you can only do that when you have people around you that are on the same type of thinking,” Ndume added.
When contacted, Spokesperson for Tinubu, Ajuri Ngelale, did not respond on Saturday. However, a senior media aide to Tinubu, Tope Ajayi, dismissed Ndume’s criticisms as unfounded and baseless.
“Senator Ali Ndume has a notorious reputation for being a loose cannon and a careless talker. His capacity for self-reflection is alarmingly low. Figures like him only remember the plight of the poor and the suffering of Nigerians when their personal ambitions are thwarted. Senator Ndume conveniently forgets the poor and their children when it comes to securing positions for his own offspring in institutions such as the CBN, NNPC, and other prestigious government bodies,” Ajayi said in a tweet on Friday.
