Senator representing Borno South, Mohammed Ali Ndume has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reason to be concerned ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing growing discontent within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the threat of a new opposition coalition, and the unclear loyalty of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Ndume argued that while Buhari is no longer in power, his influence in Northern Nigeria remains formidable. “Buhari’s followership has diminished naturally because he is out of office, but you can’t write him off—especially with the Northern masses,” he said. “The followership of Buhari has been occultic. You cannot explain it.”
According to Ndume, the significance of Buhari’s symbolic vote cannot be underestimated. “Tinubu should be worried if Buhari is not on his side. Every number counts and Buhari has one vote. Tinubu should also be worried about my position because I have one vote for him. He does not have a vote for me,” the senator said pointedly.
He dismissed claims that Buhari did not support Tinubu in 2023, saying, “I know Buhari. If Buhari says he doesn’t like you, he even shows it on his face. He’s not the type of person that will play a double game… Maybe you could say he did not actively work for him. But definitely, he supported the president.”
When asked if he intended to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) or People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ndume responded simply: “No.”
However, he acknowledged that rumours of a defection by the CPC bloc to the SDP should not be ignored. “Every vote matters,” he emphasised. “If people say that their interests will not be served very well in a particular place, they move. Especially in Nigeria, where politics is more of a platform—not ideology.”
Ndume didn’t hold back criticism against his own party, accusing the Tinubu administration of sidelining loyal party members. “The failure of the APC-led government to carry along those that worked for the victory of the party is one of the reasons causing the discontent,” he said.
He added, “Two years into the government, many people feel they have been abandoned and don’t have access to the president. When I tried to draw attention to it, I was vilified and attacked instead of addressing the issue.”
The senator also warned of deeper systemic issues within the Tinubu administration. “One of the problems with this government is that it is filled with kleptocrats instead of democrats,” he said. “If you have aristocrats and kleptocrats dominating the democratic space, you’ll have a problem.”
When asked if that was the case in Tinubu’s government, Ndume said, “Yes, because the democrats have been abandoned. I said it before—it cost me my job. And I don’t know whether next, I will be expelled from the party for saying this.”
Despite this, he said he’s unafraid: “No, I’m not. I’ve tasted it before. I’ve been to prison three times for speaking the truth.”
On the broader national picture, Ndume pointed to both internal and external factors as signs of trouble for the Tinubu presidency in 2027. “Circumstantially and also evidently. There is a global downturn contributing to our economic issues, inflation, and the naira’s fall. But also, the presidency itself has been unable to carry people along effectively—especially politicians,” he said.
He also raised alarms over growing insecurity in Borno and across the North-East, stressing that efforts must be intensified. “The governor called an emergency security meeting, and what he said there is true. He’s so worried about it.”
His comments come amid increased political movement, particularly from the opposition. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, along with ex-governors Nasir El-Rufai, Aminu Tambuwal, Gabriel Suswam, Achike Udenwa, and others recently visited former President Buhari in Kaduna, sparking speculation of a coalition.
Though El-Rufai claimed it was a “post-Sallah visit” and “not about politics,” Senator Ndume’s warnings suggest that the Tinubu presidency may need to do more than dismiss the opposition’s gathering as mere courtesy.
Ndume concluded by reaffirming that every political move counts—and that Buhari’s stance ahead of 2027 could well tilt the scales.
