CBN, FAAN Relocation: Your Threat Against Tinubu Is Demeaning – Okupe Knocks Ndume

Former presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, has slammed the Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, over his statement on the relocation of certain departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos.

Recall that Ndume had stated that the president is being ill-advised and the relocation would result in political consequences.

However, reacting to Ndume’s submission in an open letter titled: RE: Movement of some parastatals to Lagos by the Federal Government, on Wednesday, Okupe insisted that the  senator’s position was “provocative” and “unexpected”

He insisted that Ndume’s threat of political consequences against president Bola Tinubu is unwarranted and demeaning.

Okupe’s letter read in part,  “Your recent pronouncement on the above subject matter is provocative and unexpected of a politician of your pedigree and position in the Nigerian polity.

“You have been in politics for more than two decades, you are one of the highest ranking senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and you once contested and deservedly, the revered and exalted position of the Senate President.

“Even if you disagree and you are aware of the “consensus” of many Northern politicians being against this move, it is reasonable to expect that you will treat this situation with much equanimity and maturity.

“Your threat against President Tinubu of political consequences because of this action of the federal government is unwarranted and demeaning of your status.

“Ours is a fragile democracy and from the first Republic to date, leaders of this nation have managed our national stability and unity with great circumspection and forbearance. Our polity has not always been based on political correctness but rather, often time, on political expediency and prevailing power locus.

“For instance, why should major military installations and institutions be domiciled in the North? Or the Nigerian Port Authority and the Nigerian Customs be located in Abuja? These are institutions that must be of necessity close to where the harbor is, but my dear senator this is how we are as a people.

“For your information sir, we are yet to evolve a true nation-state so we may need to continue to wobble and fumble administratively and politically until we can reach the much-desired national elitist consensus, which is a sine qua non for the building of a true united and virile nation.”