Ali Ndume, the chief whip of the senate, has expressed concerns about the recent decision to relocate some offices of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to Lagos.
Ndume believes that this decision will have political consequences and accuses “political cartels” of misguiding Tinubu, who is supporting the move.
The announcement of the relocation by CBN and FAAN has sparked varied reactions, with northern stakeholders like the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) rejecting the decision.
Ndume argues that those behind the decision still consider Lagos as the capital of Nigeria and believes that the country cannot have two capital cities.
He suggests that if the goal is to decongest the offices in Abuja, the relocation should be to states neighboring Abuja, not to Lagos.
Ndume further claims that the decision is taking on a tribal and clannish dimension, and accuses “Lagos boys” in the corridors of power of ill-advising the president.
He emphasizes that the regulators of financial institutions are meant to be in Abuja and questions the logic of relocating them to Lagos.
However, Ndume expresses confidence that President Bola Tinubu, whom he describes as a nationalist, will reverse the decisions.
He believes that those behind the decisions do not have the president’s best interests at heart and warns that there will be political consequences as a result.
Nigeria’s capital was moved from Lagos to Abuja in 1991 during the military regime of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB).
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
