Northerners Are Saying Are We Fully Represented? – Ex-Presidential Aide Speaks On Tinubu’s Govt

A former All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Leader, Ismael Ahmed, has voiced concerns that northern elites feel sidelined under President Bola Tinubu‘s administration, despite the region’s significant support during the 2023 presidential election.

Naija News reports that Ahmed, who previously served as Senior Special Adviser to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Investment Programmes, made these remarks on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, aired on Channels Television.

Northern Contributions Overlooked

Ahmed stressed that the North played a pivotal role in Tinubu’s victory but has not seen adequate representation in his administration.

He said, “A lot of people from the north believe that they have put in all they can to get President Tinubu into government. Atiku (Abubakar) ran, (Rabiu) Kwankwaso ran, both are Nigerian politicians from the northern extraction yet Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was able to get four states in the North Central, three states in the North-West, one state in the North-East and with enough votes.

“In Kano State alone, we gave Asiwaju over 500,000 votes. That clear difference that Atiku gave us in the whole of the north is by winning five states. Now, they (northerners) are saying: ‘Are we fully represented?’

“The president can bring out all the list of appointments but I think there is a sense of alienation from government, from those people, from some sort of elite in the north, that has cascaded down to the average northerner. There is also a feeling of alienation in the East. The easterners might not be as vocal as the northerners because of the votes.”

The former presidential aide who spoke on rising opposition in the north against Tinubu’s government also said the President must manage all interests to be successful as Nigeria’s president.

Ahmed said, “The Nigerian presidency is always about managing interests – your ability to manage interests of all kinds that you can think of – regional interest, class interest, all kinds of interest – your ability to manage all the interests will determine how successful you are as the head of state.

“I think the president is doing his best. Does he need to do more? Yes. I expected the president by now to have visited at least states across the country, not just to commission projects but just to move around. Kano State is 10% of the country. I think the president ought to have visited Kano, even politics aside.

“He has visited Enugu. I like that but I think he ought to have visited more places. He needs to communicate more. He needs to be more inclusive – people need to know that their representatives have access to the president.”