Senator Ali Ndume has said one of the biggest challenges facing President Bola Tinubu’s administration is that many of the people around him are unwilling to tell him the truth when policies are failing.
Ndume made the remarks during an appearance on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme on Thursday, June 25, 2026, where he spoke extensively about governance, worsening insecurity, economic hardship and his concerns about the welfare of ordinary Nigerians. He said he had repeatedly tried to secure a meeting with the president to discuss pressing national issues but had struggled to gain access.
According to the senator, he has written two separate letters to President Tinubu requesting an audience, specifically to discuss issues relating to security and citizens’ welfare, which he described as the core responsibilities of any government. Ndume said despite his efforts, he has only met Tinubu officially on a few occasions since the president assumed office in May 2023.
Ndume argued that the president’s major problem is not necessarily his intentions but the quality and dependence of the people surrounding him. He claimed that most of Tinubu’s close aides have long depended on him financially and politically, making it difficult for them to offer honest criticism or challenge poor decisions.
“I believe that his problem is the people around him,” Ndume said. He added that about 95 percent of those in the president’s inner circle are people who relied on Tinubu even before he became president. According to him, such dependence creates an environment where advisers are more focused on loyalty than truth.
The Borno South lawmaker stressed that effective leadership requires advisers who can openly disagree with the president when necessary. He warned that when leaders are surrounded only by loyalists and dependants, wrong decisions may go unchallenged. “When you have people around you that are your dependants, they cannot look you in the face and say, ‘Mr President, this cannot work,’” he said.
Ndume’s latest comments are consistent with criticisms he has made in previous months regarding Tinubu’s inner circle. In earlier interviews, he had accused some presidential advisers of being disconnected from grassroots realities and misinforming the president on important national issues, including security and economic hardship. He previously warned that shielding the president from honest feedback could have political consequences.
Despite his criticism, Ndume insisted he remains loyal to the ruling All Progressives Congress and supports the Tinubu administration. He maintained that his comments were not attacks but constructive criticism aimed at helping the government perform better amid growing public frustration over inflation, insecurity and declining living standards.
His remarks have added to ongoing national conversations about governance and accountability in Nigeria, with many observers arguing that leadership works best when surrounded by advisers willing to speak honestly, even when the truth is uncomfortable.
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