The governing All Progressives Congress (APC) has fired back at Senator Ali Ndume, the lawmaker representing Borno South, over his allegation that President Bola Tinubu has been “caged and no longer accessible.”
In a press statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the party described Ndume’s utterances as “haughty, unnecessary and unhelpful attention-seeking media posturing.”
It added that rather than engage in media posturing to denigrate the President, the lawmaker should have used the platform of the Senate, of which he is the Chief Whip, to express his views.
“As a Senator of the Federal Republic, Ndume has the platform of the National Assembly to raise and address matters that he may consider to be in the national interest. He also has access to the entire machinery of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Senator Ndume did not explain the use to which he has put this enormous access in seeking solutions to concerns that he may have,” the APC said.
The ruling party also took exception to Ndume’s claim that President Tinubu is ensconced from the happenings in the country, noting that the nation’s number one citizen has been busy attending to matters of national importance, as well as hosting key stakeholders in his office.
The statement read, “It is understandable if Senator Ndume feels frustrated by his suggested inability to access the President. But that does not warrant or justify his outlandish declaration that the President has been caged in some way or ensconced from the reality of conditions in the country. Senator Ndume’s heedless comments smack of an indulgent sense of entitlement to see the President on a whim.
“The President is busy doing the job for which he was elected by the Nigerian people. He is the head of government of which there are many critical parts equipped with power to process and deal with a wide range of simple to complex social, economic, political or security challenges. The President’s time is required to be used judiciously in attending to important matters of state.
“Just about nine days ago, on July 4, 2024, the President inaugurated the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC) and launched the Economic Stabilisation Programme to ensure food security, improved power supply, enhanced social welfare, healthcare, increased energy production, and general economic transformation.
“Further, a couple of days ago, President Tinubu was in an important meeting with leaders of Organised Labour on the issue of the new minimum wage.
“President Tinubu meets and interacts regularly with citizens, officials and guests from all walks of life, as his schedule permits. He has continued to superintend the formulation and implementation of policy and programme measures aimed at mitigating prevailing economic conditions and boosting availability and price access to food and other essential commodities.
“In similar vein, President Tinubu recently signed an Executive Order aimed at reducing the high cost of drugs; approved tax waivers for the importation of some food items in the bid to crashing prices and ensuring food sufficiency; directed the Armed Forces to combat and defeat resurgent acts of terror, among many other important engagements that speak eloquently to his command of the situation in the country.”
The ruling party cautioned Ndume, whom it described as a “senior party man,” to “exercise restraint and quit his penchant for unhelpful attention-seeking media posturing.”
