When Power Spoke, Ndume Stayed: Tinubu, Remi and Zulum’s Intervention in a Senate Journey 

Senator Ali Ndume says three people persuaded him to stay in the 2027 Senate race: President Bola Tinubu, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, and Borno Governor Babagana Zulum. That account is worth sitting with for a moment.

Ndume represents Borno South, a seat he has held continuously since 2011. Before that, he served two terms in the House of Representatives from 2003. A victory in 2027 would be his tenth general election and fifth consecutive Senate term.

His APC ticket is already secured. His main challenger, Abdullahi Askira, withdrew after internal party consultations. His constituents mobilised N38.5 million to purchase his expression of interest and nomination forms.

What makes the story more interesting is Ndume’s recent history with the administration, which is now vouching for his continuation.

In July 2024, the APC stripped him of his position as Senate Chief Whip after he said publicly that Tinubu’s government was “caged” and disconnected from the daily hunger facing ordinary Nigerians. He was replaced by Senator Tahir Monguno. He has repeatedly warned the Senate against becoming a rubber stamp for executive bills.

None of that led to a defection. Ndume has maintained throughout that he stays in the APC precisely because he believes in speaking truth from inside rather than exiting to make noise from outside.

The intervention of Tinubu, the First Lady, and Zulum in his 2027 decision suggests the presidency sees value in that position too.

A vocal critic who remains loyal is, in many ways, more useful to a ruling party than a silent loyalist. He provides internal legitimacy, manages discontent from within, and gives the party a credible voice of dissent it can point to when accused of suppressing debate.

For Ndume, the encouragement to stay is validation. For the APC, keeping him is a strategy.