Borno South Senator Ali Ndume has openly distanced himself from the recent endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid by governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, the senior lawmaker criticized the endorsement move amid rising public frustration.
According to a Channels Television program monitored by NaijNaira, Ndume drew parallels with the 2015 general election when 22 governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supported then-President Goodluck Jonathan—yet he lost to Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.
On May 22, 2025, 22 APC governors endorsed Tinubu as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 elections. However, Ndume, who has been in the National Assembly since 2003, said he did not support the endorsement, citing worsening conditions in the country.
“Nigerians cannot see any hope, they are doubting the Renewed Hope,” Ndume stated, reflecting on the harsh economic realities and growing insecurity affecting many Nigerians.
The senator confirmed that he walked out of the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja during the announcement. He explained that he had attended for a different purpose and left as soon as the endorsement was introduced through a voice vote.
“I was there but that was not why I was there,” he said. “I was there for a summit and when I realised that it was not a summit and voice vote was put about the endorsement of Mr President, I just left, and that does not mean I am not an APC member. The majority had its way but few of us felt that was not right.”
He also warned that political endorsements often do not reflect the will of the electorate. Drawing on past events, he noted, “Jonathan had 22 governors then endorsing him like was done now. And what happened? Jonathan lost woefully. A lot of money was spent. Even the election was shifted but we are not learning our lessons. I pity Mr President.”
Ndume further commented on the public disillusionment with the Tinubu administration, noting how voters, not politicians, ultimately decide elections.
“It happened before, not once, not twice,” he added. “Politicians are decamping but the people who are the voters are not decamping.”
A long-serving figure in Nigeria’s legislature, Ndume has served two terms in the House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate in 2011. His remarks add to ongoing discussions about the growing divide between political elites and the concerns of everyday Nigerians, particularly regarding the cost of living and rising insecurity.
Article updated 3 weeks ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
