Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, continues his outspoken critique of President Bola Tinubu.
His persistent criticisms led to his removal as Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate and pressure from his party to defect to an opposition party.
Despite his removal, Ndume has accepted the decision with grace and remains committed to speaking truth to power. In a recent session with journalists, he commented on the N70,000 minimum wage agreement that Tinubu secured with labor unions.
“People are suffering, people are angry, people are not happy. I am happy that yesterday, the president agreed with NLC to increase the salary to N70,000, which is a good move, but it takes more than that because, realistically, that is like a bag of rice, money that will buy a bag of rice or cover the cost of a bag of rice,” Ndume stated.
He urged President Tinubu to remain open to public concerns and listen to the people. Ndume emphasized his actions as patriotic, advising the president to address the pressing issues facing Nigerians.
“I insist it is unpatriotic to stand by the president in whichever or whatever he does. It is patriotic to speak the truth not only to the president but also to anybody, for that matter. It is unpatriotic not to speak the truth to power or anybody, and I still stand by that. In doing so, it is also known that God is always with the person that speaks the truth.”
Ndume expressed confidence in his stance, urging the president to heed his message and take appropriate measures to alleviate the suffering of the populace.
