Senator Ali Ndume, Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate and representative of Borno South, has raised serious allegations against officials surrounding President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Ndume claimed that aides at the Presidential Villa demand bribes before granting access to the President.
According to Ndume, even senior government officials and lawmakers struggle to meet with Tinubu without going through intermediaries who allegedly exploit the process. He lamented that his own attempts to reach the President through formal channels were repeatedly blocked by bureaucratic hurdles.
“I don’t have a chance to see the President. The only time I can see him is when he’s going to an event,” Ndume stated. “This is how they run the government. The government is dominated by kakistocrats. If you want to see the President, they will ask you how much.”
The senator used the term kakistocrats a government led by the least qualified or most corrupt—to describe those in Tinubu’s inner circle. He further revealed that he had written requests to meet the President on pressing financial matters but was met with delays and evasive responses from aides.
Ndume’s remarks come amid growing diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the United States, adding weight to concerns about transparency and accountability within the current administration.
