Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for being disconnected from the harsh economic realities facing Nigerians, suggesting that the president's use of vehicles with tinted windows prevents him from witnessing the suffering of citizens firsthand.

Speaking on Channels Television's Sunday Politics programme, the long-serving lawmaker expressed concern that the president may be unaware of the severity of hardship in the country.

"The president also is not pretending. He acknowledges there is hardship. He acknowledges that things are very difficult. Even recently he appealed that people should be patient with him," Ndume stated.

However, the senator questioned the sustainability of such patience, adding: "But the question is, for how long will we continue to be patient? Things are very difficult and so many things have not been done the way the people are expecting."

Presidential Aides Under Fire

Ndume directed sharp criticism toward those surrounding the president, accusing them of misleading Tinubu and damaging his public image.

"My position on the people surrounding the President is that they are deceiving him, damaging his image and doing more harm than good because the President cannot go out on the streets like myself and know how the people feel," he said.

"Even outside the Villa they'd drive him in a tinted glass that he does not even see what's going on," the senator added, emphasizing that the president relies on representatives and intelligence reports to understand public sentiment.

Public Dissatisfaction with APC

The Borno South senator did not mince words about the public's growing dissatisfaction with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). "To be honest with you, if you go back to the electorates today halfway they're not happy. I see people lying, telling the President what he wants to hear or maybe some of them, he doesn't even want to hear them," Ndume remarked.

Concluding his assessment of the national situation, the senator painted a grim picture: "Things are bad, very bad in the country."

This criticism comes amid growing concerns about the economic challenges facing Nigerians and questions about the effectiveness of government policies in addressing these issues.

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