Senator Mohammed Ndume has accused President Bola Tinubu of bypassing the National Assembly in many instances to borrow for spurious projects, to the tune of $9.45 billion.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) senator for Borno South also criticised the lop-sidedness in federal political appointments by the president, saying he has favoured one section or ethnic group, contrary to the federal character guidelines.
But the presidency, on Tuesday, refuted the claims of nepotism and lopsided appointments, saying Ndume is not only averse to facts but also addicted to attention seeking conduct.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS Prime Time, on Monday night, with Charles Anagolu, Ndume said, though, he was not against borrowing, in most cases the borrowing was not for capital projects or verifiable tangible projects.
Ndume said, “Let me say that I am not against borrowing, America, Japan, China and other big countries do borrow.
“They borrow for fiscal, tangible and accountable projects, which they pay back over time. But my worry is what they borrow for.
“For example, in June 2023, they borrowed $500 million for a woman programme called NPMWPS. In the same June 23, 2023, another $800 million was borrowed to cushion the effects of the increase in the price of petroleum products.
describing the claim as hypocritical and misleading.
Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, while dismissing the claim in a reaction posted on via his X handle, @aonanuga1956, said the Borno South senator was “allergic to facts and addicted to theatrics”.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy,
“Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called ‘lopsided appointments’ by President Bola Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception.
“While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he forgot to tell his interviewer that two of his kinsmen featured in recent NNPC Limited top appointments.”
Onanuga pointed out that Chairman of NNPC Limited, who was appointed by Tinubu, hailed from Ndume’s own senatorial district in Borno State.
“If Tinubu and his surrogates’ choices are so ‘tribal,’ how did two of Ndume’s kinsmen clinch NNPC’s top roles?” queried the presidential aide, who accused Ndume of repeatedly engaging in populist rhetoric without regard for verifiable facts.
“His habit of firing half-baked criticisms—only to be contradicted by facts—proves he’s more interested in headline-chasing, rabble rousing, and stoking divisive narratives than offering constructive criticism,” he added.
Onanuga, who refrained from addressing alleged borrowing for spurious projects without the approval of the National Assembly, however, reaffirmed the president’s commitment to inclusive governance, saying Tinubu’s appointments are based on merit, integrity, and national spread.
He stated, “President Tinubu is deeply committed to fostering a government that embraces all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or regional affiliations.”
He urged the senator to “elevate public discourse and avoid misinformation and baseless criticism”.
Onanuga warned that such behaviour was “a disservice to the nation and the behaviour least expected from a Nigerian senator”.
