Some former lawmakers from northern Nigeria are clashing over whether to support President Bola Tinubu’s reelection plans for 2027 — www.naijnaira.com reports.
A public show of support came from the Northern Caucus Forum of the 9th National Assembly, which backed Tinubu after a strategic meeting organized by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, according to Sunday Punch.
Gbajabiamila, once the Speaker of the House, described Tinubu as “a national leader” whose administration prioritizes fairness and infrastructure across all regions.
He urged former legislators to unite behind Tinubu’s re-election, insisting the North is not being sidelined in national development.
But the endorsement didn’t go down well with all.
A different bloc of ex-northern lawmakers dismissed the Kaduna meeting as a staged political spectacle that doesn’t reflect regional consensus.
In a statement titled We Can’t All Be Commodified, the dissenting group said the so-called endorsement lacked legitimacy and moral authority.
They accused Chanchangi’s caucus of acting as a political front for Gbajabiamila rather than representing genuine northern interests.
Zakari Mohammed and other signatories said, “That group does not speak for us. Their claims do not mirror the harsh realities across the North.”
They slammed the Tinubu government for worsening poverty, surging insecurity, and rising unemployment across several northern states.
The group highlighted Borno, Benue, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina as areas hit hardest by continued violence and neglect.
They criticized what they described as “a desperate effort to sanitize a broken system,” and accused the Chanchangi-led forum of seeking personal gain.
“These individuals don’t represent us. Their political theater cannot distract from the pain on the ground,” the rebuttal read.
They also dismissed the legitimacy of using the legacy of the late Sardauna of Sokoto to justify the endorsement.
“No one should hijack a revered legacy for selfish political ends,” they warned.
This disagreement emerged shortly after northern elders met in Kaduna to evaluate Tinubu’s administration two years into his presidency.
That event, themed around evaluating electoral promises and citizen engagement, provided further context for the growing discontent within the region.
Article updated 4 hours ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
