Does Tinubu Have Agenda For North? -By Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua

Hajiya Najaatu Mohammed, former coordinator of APC presidential campaign council (PCC), representing civil society Organization, has stirred the hornet nest in an interview granted to AIT television station recently on why she resigned her appointment as a member of PCC. In the interview, Najaatu stated that, she travelled to London to meet the presidential candidate of All progressive candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who pleaded with her to join his campaign team. After she met him, Najaatu asked him if he has any “blue print” for the North, if elected in the forthcoming elections. To her surprise, Tinubu told her point-blank that, he did not have any blue print for the region. Also, in more than two hours in which the meeting last, Najaatu stated that, Tinubu proved to be dementia plagued to even respond to conversation and therefore unfit to rule the country. Whether Najaatu Mohammed statement on what had transpired between her and Tinubu is true or false, Northern Nigeria, with 19 states and voting strength wants to know what Tinubu have for the region.

Although, leading contenders in all the major political parties have promised to tackle northern Nigerian multi-facet challenges, Tinubu is yet to tell us how he will do his own. For instance, how Tinubu intends to address the myriad of insecurity, the menace of almajiri and poverty bedeviled the region? While the Buhari administration has been able to technically defeat Boko Haram insurgents in Northeast, the violent activities of bandits in Katsina, Zamfara, Niger and other parts of Kaduna state have become matter of great concern. Tinubu should tell us his blue print aimed at nipping into bud the monster of banditry in the north. It is estimated that, over 10millions children in the North are rooming the street without formal education. These children are not enrolled in schools. Therefore, they constituted nuances in the region and can be used as political thugs by desperate politicians. We are yet to see any blue print from Tinubu’s campaign organization on how these children will be kept off the street.

Despite the facts president Muhammadu Buhari came from North, his nearly eight years in power has not addressed the high rate of poverty in the region. The recent report from National Bureau for Statistics (NBS),on multi-dimensional poverty index which places Zamfara as the first state with high poverty in the country, says the obvious facts about the region’s growing poverty. When Tinubu’s political campaign train arrived Kano, he ordered for music to be played and he danced. Instead of engaging in issues based campaign, Tinubu turned himself to a dancer. This is unbecoming of any serious candidate who wants to govern a great country like Nigeria. At the end of his campaign, Tinubu neither told his supporters who trooped in their thousands what he had for them nor the north. North will not be taking to gallery any more. The region, like any other parts of the country, is battling with myriad of problems ranging from insecurity, poverty to illiteracy. Najaatu Mohammed and any right thinking northerner needs to know what our front lines candidates, including Tinubu, have for the North.

Nigerian democracy is evolving so also the political culture. The leadership failure being witnessed in the country since the return of democracy has necessitated the need to interrogate our presidential candidates on their programs for the well-being of Nigerians, if elected. This will go along way towards holding our elected leaders accountable in case they fail to fulfill their promises. Tinubu should go beyond his “Emi lokan” mantra and tells the North what he has for them if he becomes the next president.

Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua, Kaduna state 08169056963.