The senator representing Borno south senatorial district and Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, has been rubbished following series of unfavourable remarks he made against President Bola Tinubu and his administration.

Ndume had in a interview on Arise TV programme on Friday stated that the country was being led by those who were unfit to govern, prioritising personal interests over the well-being of the nation and its citizens.

He accused the President in another interview with journalists in his office of being insensitive to the suffering of Nigerians who are dying of hunger, adding that the President has been caged, hence he not in the picture of what is happening outside the Villa.

He said “Mr President (Bola Tinubu) is not in the picture of what is happening outside the Villa. He has been fenced off and caged.

“Now they have stopped him from talking and he doesn’t have public affairs managers, except that his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, who writes press statements.”

He went further to state that “Nigerians are getting very, very angry. The government is not doing anything about food scarcity.”

But reacting to Ndume’s utterances, Tinubu’s aide on media and public affairs, Tope Ajayi, lashed out at the Senator, saying anyone who read or listened to Ndume’s utterances would think it is an altruistic act.

In a post on his official X handle, Ajayi stated that “People like him only remember the poor and the fact that Nigerians are suffering when their personal agenda and indulgences can’t be met.”

He went on to state that “Senator Ndume does not remember the poor and their children when it is time to fix his own children into CBN, NNPC and other choice MDAs and state owned enterprises.

“He made baseless and unfounded allegations against the President that he is cut off from reality of Nigerians. This President is well aware and fully abreast of the current material conditions of Nigerians and he is working very hard to deal with the challenges.”

Ajayi claimed that while there were economic challenges, things were getting back in shape.

“The economy is still facing headwinds but things are gradually turning in the positive direction. A President that gets daily briefings from his team, receives cross-section of Nigerians from all strata of the society almost every day – from business leaders to religious leaders, socio-cultural groups and professional groups can’t be falsely accused of being removed from the realities of the people.”