2027: North is Grumbling – Senator Ndume Warns of Loud Electoral Backlash if Grievances Unaddressed

Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) has warned that the North is increasingly dissatisfied ahead of the 2027 general elections, stating that the region’s “grumbling” will manifest loudly through votes if key concerns are not addressed promptly.

Speaking in an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Ndume emphasized that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not the root of the problem but rather “the people around him.” He suggested that the president remains capable of turning the situation around through strategic engagement and appointments.

At a Glance: Ndume’s Warning to the Presidency

• The Core Issue: Widespread northern dissatisfaction due to perceived marginalization and economic hardship.

• The “Tinubu Factor”: Ndume absolves the President personally but blames an “inner circle” disconnected from political reality.

• The Warning: Failure to re-engage northern elders will lead to a “loud” electoral backlash in 2027.

• New Controversy: Ndume also alleged discrepancies in the newly signed 2026 Tax Law, claiming the version passed by the National Assembly differs from the one signed by the President.

“President is Not the Problem” — Blaming the Inner Circle

Senator Ndume argued that President Tinubu succeeded as Governor of Lagos because he was surrounded by competent, politically savvy individuals—many of whom have now been sidelined.

“The President had good people around him when he was a governor of Lagos. That was why he succeeded. But a lot of those same people, most of them are not there again,” Ndume said. He criticized current aides, describing them as people who “only know Ikoyi and Victoria Island” and fly abroad to meet their families, lacking a grassroots connection to the Nigerian people.

Regional Grievances and the 2027 Outlook

The North—comprising 19 states and holding the country’s largest voting bloc—is currently a “tinderbox” of grievances according to the Senator. He linked the unrest to:

• Perceived Marginalization: Limited representation in critical federal economic portfolios.

• Stalled Dialogue: Northern elders previously met with the President and were promised continued engagement, which Ndume claims “never happened.”

• Economic Pressures: Hardship fueled by the subsidy removal, naira volatility, and persistent insecurity in the North East and North West.

“If anybody that tells you that the North is not grumbling now, he’s not speaking the truth. The grumbling will be loud in their votes if nothing is done about it.”

Broader Political Implications

Ndume’s public statement is notable coming from a senior APC figure and former Senate Leader. It signals internal party pressure to address northern concerns ahead of the 2027 polls. While the administration has pointed to northern representation in various ministerial roles as evidence of commitment, Ndume insists that the “people around the President” are preventing these leaders from being effective.