The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, recently made a statement that was profound in all contexts.
Matawalle, an unflinching supporter of President Bola Tinubu said any political pitch to the effect that the north will not vote for Tinubu is both untrue and defective. Such su, he says, only dwells in the fantasy-addled imagination of opposition politicians and their recruits. To him, the north is for Tinubu and Tinubu is for the north.
Matawalle, a former governor of Zamfara state, was unequivocal when he said that Tinubu will sweep northern votes in the 2027 election. He believes that unlike in 2023 when the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate shared votes with the PDP and Labour Party in a few states in the north, the 2027 election will see Tinubu exceeding his 2023 performance across the north by very wide margin.
This sentiment has been echoed by different politicians and groups not least is the Northern Elders Progressive Movement (NEPM) which commended President Tinubu for his efforts in tackling insecurity, developing infrastructure, and fostering political cohesion in the country.
Secretary-General of the movement, Mallam Yusuf Abubakar, in a press statement said Nigerians should be appreciative of a political leader like Tinubu, who has exhibited both the courage and the capacity to introduce policies for a prosperous tomorrow. These policies favour both the north and the south.
The movement specifically mentioned Tinubu’s efforts in addressing insecurity in the North, particularly in the North-west. It lauded the efforts of the nation’s gallant troops. The recent successes in Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, and Kwara states where bandits’ enclaves were destroyed and their leaders eliminated caught the attention of the Elders as reason to believe that the fight against insecurity is not a mere slogan.
Another leverage for Tinubu was the endorsement of his presidential re-election by the influential Christian leaders from the North at the presentation of Tinubu’s three-year scorecard to Northern Christian communities. The event which held in Abuja was organised by the Christian Northern Nigeria Progressive Forum (CNNPF) under the theme: “Renewed Hope – Three Years of Impact on Northern Christian Communities”. It witnessed the assemblage of prominent Christian clerics and thought-leaders from the north.
In endorsing Tinubu for second term, the group insists that the South should be allowed to complete an eight-year tenure in the interest of national unity and political stability. CNNPF National Chairman Ibrahim Gabriel Itodo urged politicians to adhere to the unwritten but equity-driven logic of swinging power between the north and the south. He argued that respecting the unwritten North-South power rotation arrangement was essential for national cohesion. He told the audience that as Northern Christians and Nigerians, they believe in fairness, equity and in keeping their word. Itodo defended Northern Christians’ support for the APC in 2023 as a strategic political decision with a firm commitment for an encore in 2027.
Ordinarily, perspectives like this should not elicit further validation or explanation. As someone who has toured the north recently, it is hard to find any reason why the north will not vote for Tinubu. The Tinubu momentum is building in the north. From north-west through the north east to north-central, the Tinubu effect is profoundly felt. Farmers say they now feel a sense of safety enough to make them commit more to farming. The on-going partnership between Nigerian military and the United States security apparatchik has become a huge source of confidence for the farmers. They believe that more than ever before, the federal government under Tinubu has succeeded in putting the issue of insecurity on the national priority list. This commitment has earned global confidence and solidarity with the United States leading the charge.
They argue that if previous governments had confronted the issue of insecurity with as much zeal and sincerity since 2002 when Boko Haram slipped into the country in Borno state or in 2009 when insurgents formally started violent attacks on Nigerians and security formations, Nigeria would have by now overcome the terror scourge.
There is a groundswell of confidence among the northerners on the ability of President Tinubu to continue to deliver on his electoral promises, to lead without bias and without fear. They point to Tinubu’s well curated courage in leadership which he exhibited in Lagos as governor; his ability to lead from the front and above all, his raw audacity to envision a prosperous future and take decisions that would help to actualize that future. The people say that Tinubu’s appointments, spread of infrastructure projects across the north and his security interventions in the north qualify him for a second term.
In the agricultural value chains, the north has seen a leap in production and processing of agriculture produce spurred by strategic reduction in the cost of critical farm inputs including tractors and fertilizers. Through the Bank of Agriculture, farming has received a boost with more farmers having access to finance. Without a doubt, the north is the undisputed food basket of the nation. President Tinubu knows this and has taken steps to ensure increased production capacity for the farmers including improved crop yields with enhanced export capacities.
Farmers deserve commensurate rewards for their efforts. Of what use are rich harvests of crops and pastoral products if they have no reliable access to markets, either as processed products or raw produce. Tinubu’s leadership has provided the answers with increased road and rail infrastructure.
Recently, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, lent his voice to the pro-Tinubu sentiments from the north. He said Tinubu has done more for Northern Nigeria than any previous leader. He listed infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare projects as evidence of the administration’s commitment to the northern region. He dismissed claims that the North would not support Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, asserting that the President Tinubu would secure more votes in the region than he did in the 2023 election.
“Let me be very frank with you. And when I talk, I talk on the basis of data and statistics. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today, I can tell you, he has done more than any leader for Northern Nigeria.
“I can tell you categorically, no president has done for the North in terms of development as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done in the last three years. And I’m speaking on the basis of data and statistics,” Sani said on Arise News.
Political watchers, especially those familiar with the dialectics of northern politics concur with Sani and Matawalle. They say given Tinubu’s northern region-wide spread of critical infrastructure and appointments, the president will amass more votes in the north than he did in 2023.
·Okude writes from Abuja
