The Presidency has hit back at Senator Ali Ndume, accusing him of hypocrisy and labeling him a “rabble rouser” for his comments regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointments.
Ndume had criticized the President’s appointments, claiming they were lopsided and violated the constitutional principles of Nigeria.
In an interview, the Borno senator argued that the appointments were skewed and unfairly distributed.
Responding on his official X account, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, dismissed Ndume’s statements as hypocritical and selective.
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.”
Onanuga emphasized that the President’s appointments are grounded in merit, integrity, geographical representation, and the capability to serve the people of Nigeria, and not based on Ndume’s “cherry-picked tribal arithmetic.”
He urged the senator to engage in more responsible public discourse, pointing out that such criticisms served only to mislead the public.
“This is a disservice to the nation and the behaviour least expected from a Nigerian Senator,” Onanuga added.
He further pointed out Ndume’s selective stance on fairness, noting, “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?”
Onanuga accused Ndume of prioritizing publicity over facts, stating, “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.”
The Presidential aide concluded by reaffirming President Tinubu’s commitment to an inclusive government, stating, “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.”
