By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
Senate Chief Whip Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) has unleashed a scathing attack on unnamed officials in President Bola Tinubu’s inner circle, accusing them of running a “pay-to-meet” racket that blocks access to the presidency unless bribes are paid.
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In a bombshell interview on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, Ndume lamented the rot at the heart of the Aso Rock Villa, claiming:
“Some people in the Presidency always ask for money before allowing you to have an audience with President Bola Tinubu.”
The Borno lawmaker, a vocal critic of the administration’s economic policies despite his APC affiliation, described the practice as “embarrassing” and a barrier to effective governance. He recounted instances where even senior politicians and citizens are extorted by “gatekeepers” who control the President’s schedule.
“This is not how we run a democracy. The President should be accessible to his people, not hidden behind money-grubbing aides,” Ndume fumed, urging Tinubu to purge his entourage of such “leeches.”
His latest outburst comes amid rumors of his potential ouster as Chief Whip, following a letter from 47 APC senators calling for his replacement over “disloyalty.”
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Ajuri Ngelale dismissed Ndume’s claims as “baseless fabrications from a disgruntled senator seeking relevance.”
“President Tinubu’s doors are open to all Nigerians. No one pays a kobo for an audience. Senator Ndume should provide evidence or retract,” Ngelale fired back in a statement.
Sources close to the Villa whisper that Ndume’s barbs stem from denied meetings on Boko Haram funding and Northeast reconstruction.
Civil society groups like BudgIT and SERAP hailed Ndume’s courage, demanding an independent audit of Aso Rock access logs. “If true, this is state capture by aides,” said SERAP’s Femi Falana (SAN).
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APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka urged “internal resolution,” while PDP’s Debo Ologunagba mocked: “Even their own man is exposing the rot.”
Ndume, unfazed, vowed to name names in a full Senate address next week.
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