Senator Ali Ndume, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has publicly distanced himself from the recent endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term in the 2027 general election.
Ndume argued that political endorsements for Tinubu don’t automatically translate into electoral support from Nigerian voters.
His comments come less than three weeks after 22 APC governors unanimously endorsed Tinubu’s second-term bid at a May 22 gathering at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
During an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, the senator confirmed he was present at the event but walked out once it became clear the gathering was intended to endorse Tinubu.
Read Also:Ndume Reveals Those Who Hijacked Tinubu’s Government
Ndume stated he disagreed with the APC governors’ decision, claiming that Tinubu’s support base is out of touch with the country’s current challenges because “things are very bad in the country” right now.
“I was there, but that was not why I was there; I was there for a summit and when I realised that it was not a summit and voice vote was put about the endorsement of Mr President, I just left, and that does not mean I am not an APC member. The majority had its way but few of us felt that was not right,” Ndume said.
Ndume stated that this recent endorsement reminded him of a similar situation in 2015, when then-President Goodluck Jonathan received the backing of 22 governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but ultimately lost his re-election bid to Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.
He also noted that while politicians may switch allegiances, the electorate remains largely independent, saying, “It happened before, not once, not twice. It happened during Jonathan. That does not mean anything. Politicians are decamping but the people who are the voters are not decamping.
“I hope that he would look back historically and see that the gathering of people to endorse you does not mean anything.
“Jonathan had 22 governors then endorsing him, like was done now. And what happened? Jonathan lost woefully. A lot of money was spent. Even the election was shifted but we are not learning our lessons. I pity Mr President.”
Join Informant Online WhatsApp Channel With Link Below: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaihFajBadmT29ufud2
