Northern leaders split over claims of Tinubu’s neglect of the region

DDM News

(DDM) – Fresh political debate has erupted in Northern Nigeria over whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has marginalised the region in governance, appointments, and development projects since taking office in May 2023.

The controversy gained momentum after Northern governors, ministers, and senior federal officials gathered at Arewa House, Kaduna, on July 29–30, under the Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, to review the administration’s performance.

While some leaders accused the government of neglect, others pointed to massive ongoing federal investments across the North as proof of inclusivity.

Director-General of the Budget Office, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu, told the meeting that over 50% of the 2024 and 2025 capital budgets are allocated to Northern projects.

He cited the Abuja–Kano Expressway, the ₦12.1 trillion Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, the Kano–Maradi Railway, and major airport expansions as evidence.

Yakubu argued that the scale of funding and infrastructure rollout reflected the president’s fulfilment of campaign pledges made to Northern stakeholders in 2022.

In October 2022, during a visit to Kaduna, Tinubu promised to prioritise agriculture, mining, education, and infrastructure in the North, vowing to transform it into Africa’s agribusiness hub and improve teacher welfare.

The North rewarded him with around 60% of its votes in the 2023 presidential election.

However, dissenting voices remain.

Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Board Chairman, Bashir Dalhatu, insisted that the region still feels sidelined in national decision-making and resource allocation.

But Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, and his Gombe counterpart, Inuwa Yahaya, countered that Tinubu has honoured his commitments, urging critics to look at the facts.

Vice President Kashim Shettima’s office released a statement emphasising that ongoing reforms are rooted in fairness, not regional bias.

On security, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu reported significant gains against banditry and terrorism, with previously unsafe highways becoming more secure.

Kaduna’s governor closed the meeting with a challenge to Northern elites: “Tinubu has kept faith with us in many areas. The real question is, have we kept faith with our people?”

The split in opinion suggests that while the administration is making big-ticket investments in the North, political perceptions may still shape the 2027 electoral battle.

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