Senator Ali Ndume, a senior lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, has distanced himself from the recent endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term by 22 governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ndume, a prominent member of the ruling party, warned that political endorsements do not guarantee electoral victory, citing the case of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Speaking during a live interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, Ndume recalled how Jonathan was endorsed by 22 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2015 general election, yet he lost to Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.
“Jonathan had 22 governors then endorsing him like was done now. And what happened? Jonathan lost woefully. A lot of money was spent. Even the election was shifted. But we are not learning our lessons,” Ndume said. “I pity Mr President.”
Ndume’s comments come shortly after APC governors, on May 22, 2025, unanimously adopted President Tinubu as their preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential election during a gathering at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The senator, who has been in the National Assembly for over 20 years, said he was present at the Villa on the day of the endorsement but walked out of the event when he realised it was not a policy summit, as he had initially believed.
“I was there but that was not why I was there. I was there for a summit, and when I realised that it was not a summit and voice vote was put about the endorsement of Mr President, I just left,” he explained. “That does not mean I am not an APC member. The majority had its way, but few of us felt that was not right.”
Ndume criticised the current state of the country, saying that ordinary Nigerians are struggling with economic hardship, rising cost of living, and worsening insecurity. He expressed concern that many Nigerians no longer have confidence in the Tinubu administration’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.
“Things are very bad in the country,” he said. “Nigerians cannot see any hope, they are doubting the Renewed Hope.”
He stressed that while political leaders may shift camps and endorse candidates, it is the voters who ultimately decide elections. “Politicians are decamping, but the people who are the voters are not decamping,” he warned.
Ndume’s remarks are seen as a rare act of dissent within the APC, especially from a long-serving member who has remained loyal to the party through various transitions. He began his legislative career in 2003 as a member of the House of Representatives for Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency in Borno State. In 2011, he moved to the Senate, where he has represented Borno South ever since.
His warning appears to be directed not just at Tinubu, but at the APC leadership as a whole — urging them to focus on performance and governance rather than premature celebrations and political calculations.
