Senator Ali Ndume, the chief whip of the 10th Senate, has cautioned Bola Tinubu against the planned relocation of some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) headquarters to Lagos State.
Speaking on Channels TV on Wednesday, Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, described the move as unwise and said it would have political consequences for Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He accused Tinubu of being misled by some “Lagos boys” who lack knowledge of other parts of the country and the federal system of government.
He stated, “Some of them think that they know better than everybody. But they don’t know anything. When you don’t know Nigeria, you only know Lagos, then you start doing things as if Nigeria is Lagos. Lagos is in Nigeria. That’s a wrong decision.”
Ndume argued that the relocation of the CBN and FAAN offices would undermine the status of Abuja as the federal capital and create a sense of marginalization among other regions.
He said the relocation was not justified by any economic or operational reasons, as Lagos already has enough federal presence and infrastructure.
He suggested that if the offices were being moved due to congestion, the best place would be Nasarawa, Kaduna or Kogi and other states surrounding Abuja, for the sake of proximity, instead of faraway Lagos.
“We will not accept it. Besides, you know, they are not doing any favour to Mr. President, because this will have political consequence. Yes. I’m telling you this,” he said.
Ndume urged Tinubu to reconsider his decision and listen to the voices of Nigerians who are opposed to the relocation.
He further added that Tinubu should not forget that it was not the votes from Lagos that brought him to power, but the votes from other parts of the country, especially the north.