APC replies Ndume, says Tinubu not “caged”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the inability of a senator, Ali Ndume, to access President Bola Tinubu cannot warrant or justify his declaration that the president had been “caged.”

Felix Morka, the party’s national publicity secretary, said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

The statement was the party’s reaction to comments credited to Mr Ndume, the Senate chief whip, who said President Tinubu had been “caged.”

Mr Ndume, while saying that securing financial autonomy for local governments was the greatest achievement of Mr Tinubu since he assumed office in 2023, also said that he was unaware of existential challenges in the country.

“The latest outburst in the media by the senator representing Borno South, and Chief Whip of the 10th Senate, Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume, claiming that President Tinubu has been caged and unaware of existential challenges in the country is as haughty as it is unnecessary.

“As a senator, 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,” the APC spokesman said.

He added that Mr Ndume was, however, yet to explain the use to which he had put these access in seeking solutions to concerns that he might have.

Mr Morka said it was understandable if the senator felt frustrated by his suggested inability to access the President.

“But this does not warrant or justify his outlandish declaration that the president had been caged in some way or ensconced from the reality of conditions in the country.

“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 Nigerians elected him for.

“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,” Mr Morka explained.

He recalled that on 4 July, the President inaugurated the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC) and launched the Economic Stabilisation Programme.

According to him, the programmes are to ensure food security, improve power supply, enhance social welfare and healthcare, increase energy production and for general economic transformation.

Mr Morka said President Tinubu was earlier in an important meeting with leaders of the organised labour on the issue of the new minimum wage.

He further explained that Mr Tinubu meets and interacts regularly with citizens, officials and guests from all walks of life, as his schedule permits.

He said the president had continued to superintend the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes, aimed at mitigating prevailing economic conditions.

He said the president was also working to boost 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 and approved tax waivers for the importation of some food items.

“This speaks eloquently to his command of the situation in the country,” the APC spokesman stressed.

He advised that as a senior senator, Mr Ndume should exercise restraint.

“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,” Mr Morka said.

(NAN)