Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, remains vocal in his criticism of President Bola Tinubu. This ongoing criticism led to his removal as Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate and a call from his party for him to join an opposition party of his choice. Despite this, Ndume accepted his removal gracefully, pledging to continue speaking truth to power.
In an interactive session with journalists, Ndume was asked about the N70,000 minimum wage Tinubu convinced labor unions to accept. He responded, “People are suffering, people are angry, people are not happy. I am happy that the president agreed with the NLC to increase the salary to N70,000, which is a good move, but realistically, that amount is equivalent to the cost of a bag of rice.”
Ndume urged the president to listen to the people and address their concerns. He described his actions as patriotic, advising Tinubu to heed the cries of Nigerians and promptly address critical issues.
“I believe it is unpatriotic to support the president unconditionally. True patriotism involves speaking the truth to the president and to anyone in power. It is unpatriotic not to speak the truth, and I stand by that. I trust that God supports those who speak the truth.
“I am confident that I am not wrong. The people are not wrong for speaking the truth and standing by it. I pray that the president, having received this message, will take appropriate measures to alleviate the people’s suffering.”