Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume has attacked the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying it’s run by kakistocrats—those deemed the least qualified and most unscrupulous citizens—and kleptocrats, who are merely in power to steal.

Mr Ndume, who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, spoke during an interview on Arise TV on Friday.

“I’m supposed to be one of the top members of this government. I have a personal relationship with Mr President dating back long (sic). We believed in Renewed Hope. But as I said, I speak straight.  This government is going down because it is now run by kakistorcracts. Kakistocrats is a government run by the worst, least qualified and most unscrupulous citizens. This government is run by kakistocrats and kleptocrats.”

Despite Mr Tinubu’s initial intentions with the Renewed Hope Agenda, Mr Ndume argued that realising the goals required a team that shares a similar vision.

“Unfortunately that is not what the President is up to; he really meant renewed hope, but you can only do that when you have people around you that are on the same type of thinking,” Mr Ndume said.

Contacted, Spokesperson for Mr Tinubu, Ajuri Ngelale’s phone rang out on Saturday. However, a senior media aide to Mr Tinubu, Tope Ajayi, dismissed Mr Ndume’s criticisms as unfounded and baseless.

“Senator Ali Ndume has a notorious reputation for being a loose cannon and a careless talker. His capacity for self-reflection is alarmingly low. Figures like him only remember the plight of the poor and the suffering of Nigerians when their personal ambitions are thwarted. Senator Ndume conveniently forgets the poor and their children when it comes to securing positions for his own offspring in institutions such as the CBN, NNPC, and other prestigious government bodies,” Mr Ajayi said in a tweet on Friday.