Senator Ali Ndume has taken aim at former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, suggesting he is now facing the consequences of political betrayal during the 2023 presidential primaries. At the same time, Ndume issued a sharp warning to President Bola Tinubu: fix Nigeria’s mounting challenges or risk losing loyal party members including him.
Ndume, who served as the Director-General of Rotimi Amaechi’s presidential campaign, made the remarks during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday. The Borno South senator used the platform to voice growing discontent with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and to comment on El-Rufai’s recent estrangement from Tinubu’s administration.
Ndume did not mince words about the state of governance under President Tinubu, warning that the party could lose key supporters if critical issues remain unresolved.
“I still believe President Tinubu can fix things. But failure to do so may force me to leave the APC,” he said. “If I decide to leave, I won’t hide it.”
He also criticized the unchecked influx of political figures into the ruling party, warning that the APC could collapse under the weight of conflicting interests.
“If Tinubu continues this way, it doesn’t matter how many people or governors he brings in. You’re just endangering the APC,” he said. “When you overload a ship, it can capsize.”
Ndume appeared to take some satisfaction in El-Rufai’s political misfortunes, accusing him of turning his back on Amaechi during the APC primaries despite initially pledging support.
“El-Rufai was supposed to be on our side, Amaechi’s side. But somehow, he switched and backed Tinubu,” Ndume said. “I think these are some of the things now frustrating or annoying him.”
He added that Tinubu had urged El-Rufai to stay on and join his government, but El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination was ultimately rejected.
Reflecting on that moment, Ndume recalled how, as Senate Chief Whip, he and others nearly facilitated El-Rufai’s confirmation. “But sometimes, I say, ‘Okay, you did that to us—it’s payback to yourself.’”
El-Rufai has since joined the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) and become an outspoken critic of the Tinubu administration, particularly after being denied a cabinet role.
Ndume also repeated earlier accusations that some presidential aides are misleading the President and tarnishing his administration.
In a June appearance on Channels Television, he claimed that key advisers are “deceiving the President” and damaging his credibility. He went further to allege that the government has been hijacked by “kleptocrats” and “kakistocrats”—terms referring to corrupt and incompetent leaders.
