Ndume to Tinubu: Address Nigerians directly, not through aides

The senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, on Thursday urged President Bola Tinubu to communicate directly with Nigerians on critical national issues instead of relying on aides and spokespersons to convey his message.

He said the President had been absent from public communication for too long at a time when citizens desperately needed to hear from their leader.

Ndume disclosed this to State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“I advised him, and he promised to look into it, to speak directly to Nigerians. Nigerians would expect that your leader will tell you what is going on, instead of other people talking on behalf of Mr President,” he said.

The former Senate Leader noted that the security situation requires urgent and coordinated efforts, expressing optimism that the renewed military offensive against bandits could produce lasting results if sustained.

According to him, criminal groups operating across the North-West, North-East and other parts of the country are currently under intense pressure from security forces.

“There has been a lot of pressure recently on bandits in the North-West, the North-East, and elsewhere.

“Some of their leaders have been taken out, and some of their commanders surrendered on Thursday. If this tempo is kept, we are sure that this thing will come to an end,” Ndume said.

He commended the President’s response to the security crisis, saying recent developments indicated a stronger commitment to tackling the challenge.

The former Senate Chief Whip disclosed that his scheduled meeting with Tinubu was delayed because the President was holding a security meeting with the nation’s service chiefs, describing the development as evidence that the administration was giving the issue the attention it deserved.

“My appointment was for three o’clock. I don’t know what came up, but they had a security meeting. As you can see, the service chiefs came in. So that means the president is sitting up,” he said.

Ndume maintained that with sustained military operations, stronger coordination among security agencies and continued pressure on criminal networks, Nigeria could significantly reduce insecurity and restore peace to affected communities.