Leaders of some minority ethnic groups in the 19 northern states of Nigeria have declared support for President Bola Tinubu, dismissing claims that the region is marginalised by the president.
They also pledged to mobilise northerners to support the president for the 2027 election.
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The leaders, under the aegis of Northern Minorities 4 Tinubu, said this at a press conference in Abuja.
There are over 200 minority ethnic groups in the northern region of Nigeria.
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Convener of the group, Jacob Edi, who addressed the conference, said that though President Tinubu’s reforms are painful, Nigerians would thank him for the courage to act when the results of the reform begin to manifest.
“Yes, Nigerians are feeling the pain of reforms. We are, too. But these pains are like labour pains: temporary, necessary, and leading to something greater… a bundle of joy. When the results fully manifest, this country will look back and thank Tinubu for the courage to act,” he said.
Mr Edi, the Kakaki Bassange (spokesperson for Bassange Ethnic nationality), said while genuine support is rising for President Tinubu, a handful of self-serving elites are pushing a poisonous lie that the president is anti-North.
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“Since 1999, we have never seen anything like this. Leaders from opposition parties are openly pledging support for a sitting president. The governors of Plateau, HE, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang (PDP), Anambra, HE Charles Chukwuma Soludo (APGA), Osun, HE Ademola Adeleke (PDP) and Abia, HE, Dr. Alex Otti (LP) have all boldly announced their support. That is not politics as usual. That is proof of leadership that cuts across divides.
“But while genuine support is rising, a handful of self-serving elites are pushing a poisonous lie that Tinubu is anti-North. Nothing can be farther from the truth,” he said.
Growing northern opposition
President Tinubu is facing growing northern opposition ahead of 2027 as some leaders of the region accuse him of neglect and skewed governance priorities.
Among the most vocal northern leaders are a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.
In July, Mr Kwankwaso accused President Tinubu of neglecting the region and concentrating the nation’s resources on developing the southern part of the country where the president comes from.
However, the Presidency, in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, dismissed the allegation as inaccurate, saying the former governor was not in touch with the administration’s development initiatives.
Last month, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, announced that some prominent northern politicians have established a forum to address regional concerns and strategise for the 2027 election, signalling potential resistance to Tinubu’s leadership.
Key appointments
Mr Edi also highlighted key appointments the president has given to Northerners, wondering why anybody in good conscience could say he is anti-North.
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“Look at the facts. How can anyone, in good conscience, say Tinubu is anti-North? The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of Defence, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the GMD of NNPCL, the MD/CEO of Ajaokuta Steel Company, and the very cerebral Minister of Information and National Orientation are all northerners.
“Or is there any other north unknown to us, the minorities of northern Nigeria? Let us not forget the creation of the North-West and North-Central Development Commissions, which came into existence by the vision of one man, to tackle our region’s unique challenges and begin the narrative of equitable allocation of resources,” he said.
He explained that the group’s mission is to add its voice to the growing support for President Tinubu, adding that it plans to move across the 19 states of the North to inaugurate its chapters as well as mobilise support for the president ahead of the 2027 polls.
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