Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly, has expressed concern over growing dissatisfaction within the All Progressives Congress, stating that many party members feel abandoned by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Ndume’s remarks align with recent sentiments expressed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who openly criticised the APC for what he described as marginalisation and lack of internal democracy. Before officially defecting to the Social Democratic Party, El-Rufai accused the ruling party of sidelining its loyal members and claimed that the internal organs of the APC had become dormant since 2023.
Ndume, speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television on Friday, said the feelings of neglect are widespread among party members who, like El-Rufai, believe they have been left out of key processes and decisions within the Tinubu-led government.
“Two years into the government, many people feel that they have been abandoned. Like El-Rufai that gave that excuse that APC left him behind, so many others too are saying the same,” Ndume stated.
The senator went on to describe the discontent as rooted in the administration’s handling of appointments and accessibility, noting that many longstanding party members feel excluded from governance.
“Looking at what I know, like appointments, having access, and carrying people along, he’s just down in the school; people are not happy,” he said.
Ndume also criticised the government’s reaction to internal feedback, alleging that the presidency has chosen to attack those voicing concerns rather than addressing the core issues raised.
“Many people don’t have access, I said it sometimes back and they didn’t do something about it. Instead, they came back on the back of newspapers and started abusing the messenger instead of addressing the message,” he said.
His comments come amid growing concerns among party stakeholders over what they describe as lopsided appointments made by the president, which, according to Ndume, disregard the principle of federal character enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
