The All progressives Congress (APC) has urged Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, to stop seeking “unhelpful media attention”, following his comments about President Bola Tinubu not being accessible for advice over critical national issues.
Earlier this month, Ndume had alleged that Tinubu has shut his doors on some of his ministers and members of the national assembly.
“The major problem with this government is that its doors are closed, to the extent that even some ministers cannot see the president,” Ndume had said.
“Not to mention members of the national assembly who do not have the opportunity to meet with him and discuss the issues affecting their constituencies.”
On July 12, the senator made an appearance on Arise where he made further comments on the difficulty in being able to have an audience with Tinubu. He stated that the president is been “shielded from reality” by some of his appointees.
“If you know the president before now, you would know that the whole scenario has changed,” Ndume had said.
“But now, if you go to the front of the villa, it’s like a graveyard because they don’t allow anybody to go and see Mr. President.”
However, in a statement on Saturday, Felix Morka, APC spokesperson, said “Ndume’s heedless comments smack of an indulgent sense of entitlement to see the president on a whim”.
Morka said Ndume has multiple platforms to air his opinions on national issues, rather than the “outlandish declaration that the president has been caged”.
“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 these enormous access in seeking solutions to concerns that he may have”, the statement reads.
“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 the APC spokesperson added that 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 the power to process and deal with a wide range of simple to complex social, economic, political, or security challenges,” the APC spokesperson said.
“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 Stabilization 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 a 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 of acts of terror, among many other important engagements that speak eloquently to his command of the situation in the country.
“As a senior party man and senator of the Federal Republic, we urge Ndume to exercise restraint and quit his penchant for unhelpful attention-seeking media posturing.
“Our dear country needs all hands to be on deck on the cusp of national transformation, each doing their part to remake the social, economic, and security conditions in the best interest of our people.”
