Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly, has shared new details about the fallout between President Bola Tinubu and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. Ndume said the rift began shortly after the 2023 general election, which saw Tinubu emerge as Nigeria’s president.
According to Ndume, Amaechi had fully supported Tinubu despite losing to him during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary. Tinubu won the primary with 1,271 votes, while Amaechi followed with 315 votes. Ndume, who served as Amaechi’s campaign Director-General, stated that Amaechi later joined the Presidential Campaign Council and worked hard to help Tinubu win the election.
Speaking on Arise Television on Tuesday, Ndume said President Tinubu reached out after the election and promised to meet with him and Amaechi to discuss future cooperation. He explained that although a meeting was agreed upon, it never happened. He claimed this lack of follow-up caused Amaechi to feel sidelined.
Ndume recalled that Tinubu had called to say he wanted to meet with him and Amaechi. They agreed to hold the meeting after Ndume returned from Hajj, but it never occurred. As a result, Amaechi was allegedly left out of key discussions and decisions, leading to his growing criticism of Tinubu’s administration.
Ndume believes this neglect pushed Amaechi closer to opposition figures working to form a coalition against the president’s leadership.
