Former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has issued one of his strongest warnings yet to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), cautioning that the ruling party is fast becoming an “overloaded ship filled with empty cargos” that risks capsizing if urgent reforms are not carried out.

 

Ndume delivered the warning on Sunday night while receiving an honour at the 6th Annual Award Lecture 2025 and the 121st posthumous birthday celebration of Nigeria’s first President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, held in Abuja.

 

The event drew a distinguished audience, including former Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, who chaired the ceremony; Prof. Uche Azikiwe, wife of the late nationalist; keynote speaker Dr. Mainasara Ibrahim Umar; and Minister of State for Finance Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite.

In a fiery and lengthy address, Ndume lamented the increasing wave of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, describing many of the entrants as political deadweights.

 

“I have warned that the APC is becoming overloaded. And when you overload a ship, especially with mostly empty cargo, it risks capsizing,” he said.

“If it capsizes, the owner of the ship will face a bigger problem.”

 

He criticised the instant elevation of defecting governors and political actors into leadership structures, arguing that the practice breeds internal crises and weakens party cohesion.

 

Ndume also mocked PDP leaders who hold strategy meetings to unseat the APC in 2027 but “are at the same time negotiating their entry into the ruling party.”

Turning to national leadership concerns, Ndume argued that Nigeria’s problems stem not from a lack of presidential effort but from an unhealthy concentration of responsibility on Tinubu.

 

“One man cannot be captain, striker, player, goalkeeper, and still be expected to score all the goals,” he said.

 

He urged senior political figures—especially the “class of 1999 politicians”—to step up and support the president instead of leaving him to “steer the ship alone.”

 

Addressing the Minister of State for Finance directly, Ndume said:

“Tell Mr. President that the country is looking up to him because he is a leader with strong leadership qualities.”

Perhaps his most explosive remarks came when he demanded a purge of those he described as saboteurs in government.

 

“I once said—and many accused me of being abusive—that the government is overloaded with kakistocrats and kleptocrats.

We must clear them out so we can move forward,” Ndume stated.

 

He defended his frequent criticism of the administration, explaining that it comes from deep concern for Nigeria’s direction and the president’s legacy.

 

“Some may be surprised because I often criticise the government. I speak out because I fear people may think we are failing. Yet we have a leader who is willing to listen.

Ndume recalled being falsely accused during the Goodluck Jonathan administration after raising concerns about Boko Haram, saying it took him six years to clear his name.

 

“That is why I value the little justice still remaining in Nigeria,” he said.

 

He ended his speech by urging political leaders and citizens to rally behind President Tinubu.

 

“Charity begins at home. Let us be united behind our leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. With unity, we can move this country ahead.”

 

He also delivered a humorous swipe at former Sports Minister Sunday Dare, joking that he “ran away” after hearing Ndume would be speaking.

While the celebration was dedicated to honouring Dr. Azikiwe’s contributions to Nigeria’s democratic foundations, Ndume’s sharp interventions dominated conversations after the event—highlighting intensifying internal tensions within the APC as the Tinubu administration enters a critical phase.