Plans to Subvert Tinubu’s Relevance, Dominance in North

Afakriya Gadzama

Many of us especially those who share in President Bola Tinubu’s politics and socio-economic plans for the entire country were recently taken aback by the deliberately orchestrated deception of alleged plans by sections of the North not to support him in his bid for the second term.

Many of us and our people have asked who are the promoters of this politically orchestrated falsehood and misinformation. Most of us concluded that the false reports were by some persons whose plans are their stock in trade.

We also shared the view of one of our colleagues who concluded that the rumour was by those who want to remain relevant and to get the President to engage them to promote their political relevance. The fact is, the people in the North have nothing in common with such people. They are those who have mortgaged the interests of the average Northerners.

We are joining issues with those behind the articles on reported plans by sections of the North to ditch the President because the insinuations are sheer deceptions. There are no such plans. We want to reiterate that the coming of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his government is one singular development that has brought relief to most northerners especially the down trodden.

The North apparently is part of the country that for years has wallowed under unimaginable poverty, want, and oppression. Schools and hospitals in most parts of the North until recently were in an unbelievable state of decay. No wonder about sixty percent of out-of-school children are mostly from the North. Bad governance and mismanagement of state resources are also mostly in the North.

This is the reason that Boko Haram found its case to erupt. The North today is one part of the country that is volatile. The reported plans to ditch President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from our investigations is by individuals who want to remain relevant in the eyes of the powers that be. As one politician said, they float such impressions for the money they can get from the powers that be.

A source observed that no politician can dislodge President Tinubu’s dominance and influence in any part of the North today. This according to him is because the politicians have nothing to show that is beneficial to the people. Most respondents cited the unprecedented progress that has been made in some states in the North since President Tinubu’s coming.

States in the North that have recorded unbelievable progress because of President Tinubu, support and guidance include Kaduna, Jigawa and Kano. The fact is, President Tinubu has done so much for the common man particularly the downtrodden in the North that they would under no circumstances ditch him. As many people have asserted, it is only through President Tinubu’s government  that an all-inclusive government is being run. In most states of the country only the children of rich and powerful have employment and enjoy the benefits of democracy.

The children of the common man remain unemployed years after their graduation. We were told that even in the North Eastern states particularly Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba only those close to the powers that secure employment after graduation. The situation is reportedly better in Gombe, Yobe, and Adamawa States where the children of common people get employed.

The lucky ones are those who get employed in Yobe and Taraba we have been told that intervention programmes in Borno and Yobe are also helping to mitigate the unemployment situation. A contributor to this article has said the situation in Kogi, Benue and Kwara States are not better. Politics is been played with some of the policies.

Talking of the policies of many States, many of them are fenced from federal government policies. Talking of the many efforts of the Tinubu’s government and the positive impact on the lives of the people in the North is a clear distinction that must be made between genuine facts and politically inspired sentiments.

This fact is what has led to some disgruntled politicians jumping from one political party to the other. Greed and not the interests of the common man is also the stock in trade of those who represent the people. Any politician driven by the genuine concern of the people would rather remain with political parties than jump from one political party to the other. From our understanding of the current politics in the country, it is about where the interests of the political elites are met and few of their people can benefit from the crumbs that drop from their table.

President Tinubu is known to be a welfare giver. This is the reason some powerful people corner everything they give to the people. The point is consistently made that President Bola Tinubu has made enormous sacrifices to his loyalists for the interest of his supporters. Little of these have reached the ordinary person. It is important to note that President Tinubu Government through some of his principal officers and supporters are those who have linked him to many people and have given him widespread support.

The Director General, SSS for example recently contributed to these efforts with some clergy to rehabilitate the churches destroyed by insurgents. Those displaced by the Boko Haram received assistance from him. These are the people whose churches were destroyed during the insurgency. He also paid some token to the orphans whose parents were killed and houses destroyed during the insurgency in the North East.

Another Service Chiefs has also paid the school fees of the orphans as a results many of the people in the North consistently praise President Ahmed Tinubu. At least we forget, the support of the First Lady has also contributed to the support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. She is perceived as part of the Tinubu Government who has identified with many Northern women. At least we overlook this, the first lady has also through some of new programme identified with women whose husbands and property were destroyed by the insurgency. Many of them have for the first time benefited from donations given to those who lost their lives and property as the result of the security challenges that destroyed their communities.

How can these people and their relation forget and abandon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The other reason that has endeared President Ahmed Tinubu to Northerners contrary to the demented and wishful thoughts of some individuals is how he and the Security Chiefs have dislodged the insurgence, armed bandits and criminal elements who have for over a decade traumatised most parts of the North.

No Northerner will ever support the activities that have ravaged their communities and killed hundreds of them. The singular privilege of dislodging the Security challenges that have ravaged their communities for over ten years is one reason people in the North remain grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

President Tinubu is today seen as a liberator to most Northerners. Their support and appreciation for the effort to restore most Northerners to their homelands in the wake of the insurgency, armed bandits and attacks by herdsmen have endeared most of them to the average Northerner. Most Northerners remain grateful for how he destroyed those who oppressed them.

In conclusion, no part of the North has vowed that President Tinubu would lose in the forthcoming elections. Those who claim that there are such plans are described as wishful politicians. Without a doubt, President Tinubu and his government has endeavor themselves to Northerners. The President have made unprecedented inroads into most areas his party have not penetrated in the past. A grass root politician remarked that the President will sweep most parts of the North provided he will discard those who have betrayed him and are not with their people.

Gadzama OFR, MNI, Chairman of the National Institute for Security Studies wrote in from Abuja