Ali Ndume, the Senate Chief Whip, has told President Bola Tunubu that there would be 'consequences' over the relocation of some offices of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to Lagos.
The CBN recently announced the relocation of some of its departments from Abuja to Lagos, while FAAN also announced the relocation of its headquarters from Abuja to Lagos.
The development has elicited strong reactions from group and individuals from the North, with the Northern Elders Forum kicking against it.
The Borno South senator who spoke during an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, said “political cartels” are misguiding Tinubu to take the wrong decisions.
Ndume said those behind the decisions still consider Lagos the capital of Nigeria, adding that the country cannot have two capital cities.
The Borno senator argued that if the rationale behind the decision is for decongestion of the Abuja offices, the relocation should be to states conterminous with Abuja and not Lagos.
He said the decision is beginning to assume a tribal, clannish dimension, adding that the president is being ill-advised by “Lagos boys” in the corridors of power.
“All these Lagos boys who are thinking that Lagos is Nigeria are just misinforming and advising the president wrongly,” the senator said.
“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.
“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.
“The regulators of the financial institutions are supposed to be or are in Abuja.
“Do you now say that because the majority of our oil is extracted from south-south, you take NNPC to south-south? It does not work that way.”
Ndume said he believes that Tinubu will reverse the decisions as a “nationalist and not just a Lagos man”.
He added that those behind the decisions do not have the president’s interest at heart.
“I’m very sure and confident that Mr. President will look at this situation because he is a nationalist and not just a Lagos man,” he added.
“Those political cartels that are in the corridors of power are trying to misinform the president and we will tell the president. The president will take action.
“They are not doing any favour to my president because this will have political consequences.”
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