Tinubu Has Been Caged, Fenced Off – Top Northern Senator Reveals

The Chief Whip of the 10th Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unaware of the events happening outside the Presidential Villa in Abuja, suggesting that he has been caged by specific groups.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, Ndume, who represents the Borno South senatorial district, voiced his frustration over the administration’s lack of significant action to address the country’s ongoing security issues.

Ndume stated that public dissatisfaction is growing due to the government’s failure to tackle pressing issues such as poverty, insecurity, and hunger, which have severely impacted the nation.

“Mr. President is not aware of what is happening outside the Villa. He has been fenced off and caged. Many of us won’t use backdoor channels to engage him,” Ndume said. “They have restricted his communication, and he only has his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, issuing press statements. Nigerians are becoming very angry.”

Ndume also criticized the government’s inaction on the food scarcity crisis, emphasizing the urgent need for intervention. “The government is not addressing the food shortage, and it needs to act immediately. We lack a food reserve, and the unavailability of food is the worst crisis a nation can face. Coupled with the security crisis, the situation is dire.”

He urged President Tinubu to open his doors and engage with people who will provide honest feedback. “The President should wake up; it seems he isn’t aware of what’s happening because he’s been isolated by plutocrats. He needs to meet with those who will tell him the truth. Unfortunately, those people won’t struggle to meet him. I am very worried for both the President and myself.”

Regarding the farmers-herders crisis, Ndume noted that those involved have not shown genuine commitment to solving the problem, often influenced by ethnic sentiments.

In an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, Ndume highlighted the federal government’s struggle to address these issues, stating that even some ministers find it difficult to discuss these problems with President Tinubu.

“The major problem with this government is that its doors are closed, to the extent that even some ministers cannot see the President, not to mention members of the National Assembly, who do not have the opportunity to meet with him and discuss the issues affecting their constituencies,” Ndume added.