Northern-Nigeria Perspective

My special regards to my humble Master and so also a Godfather Sir.  Virtually on the very day that my father carried me to GSS YOLA on the 7th day of February 1972, I came across three unforgettable COINCIDENCES:- 1. As my Dad was leading us to the Vice Principal's office you were descending from the staircase and as you greeted, he handed me over to you for continuous guidance and care, there and then he drove his way back to Katagum in then, Bauchi Province. After you've accredited and housed me in Wazirawa, you witnessed some strange discomfort on my face. To boost my morale you took me to your house 🏡 on your Vespa Scooter 🛵 for the lunch, there I mate with your younger brother (Umaru) and your Stewart (Dauda), served with a plate of Semovita and Karkashi soup 🍽️ 🍲 for the very first time in my life, cause to me it was a new discovery on the side of Eatery. 2. You then gave me Your Photo album to have some glance and to my Joyous and Greatest surprise, I say your pictu...

Mr. Chairman, please allow me to join you in extending a warm welcome to our distinguished guests from the federal government. As the title of this programme indicates, it is an interactive session between the delegation of senior leaders of the Bola Tinubu administration and ourselves; representatives of the key civil society organisations of the people of Northern Nigeria. I recall that it was on the 17th of October, 2022 that this same group in this same hall held an interactive session with the then presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, among other candidates. In that meeting, we presented to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a written address containing details of the issues of urgent concern to the people of Northern Nigeria.  In turn, he gave us his own written document containing details of the issues he believed were of concern to the North and how he intended to address them.  But we did not stop there. The ACF, as is its tradition, prepared an extended memorandum giving fur...

Thirty-two years ago, Nigeria stood on the cusp of greatness. The winds of democratic change were sweeping through Africa, and all eyes turned to our nation with hope — hope that Nigeria would rise as a beacon of liberty, justice, and self-determination. I was privileged to be an active participant in that defining chapter, which culminated in a historic election that captured the imagination of the world and reshaped our political destiny. It was a moment of great promise — and great sacrifice. The political class made painful compromises, but it was the Nigerian people who bore the heaviest burden. They yearned for a new democratic order, and many paid dearly for it. I, too, made my fair share of sacrifices, most notably setting aside my own presidential ambition in deference to the late Chief MKO Abiola — a gesture made in faith and fidelity to a higher national cause. But others gave far more. The late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Tafida Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Alfred Rewane — t...

The 2027 general elections would be the 8th in the election cycle of Nigeria's political landscape since 1999. These elections have throughout been dominated by a cadre of elites who, despite their varying party affiliations, have consistently failed to address the systemic issues plaguing the country. In fact, over the years, they actually turned out to be the major problem of the country. The politicians who occupied high echelons of power during this period, with few exceptions, represent a recurring cycle of leadership failures that have entrenched and perpetuated poverty, illiteracy, stark inequality and exacerbated insecurity.  2. The evidence is clear: the methods, policies and governance paradigms of these "pioneer politicians" have been insufficient to chart a transformative path for the country. As no form of alliance among them will change their political philosophy beyond mere acquisition of power for narrow interests, a major political shift is th...

former VP Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON Tinubu’s Government Has Failed The People — Opposition Coalition Will Not Be Silent. In just two years, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has proven to be one of the most incompetent, disconnected, and anti-people governments in Nigeria’s democratic history. No previous administration has inflicted this level of hardship on the masses while showing such disregard for transparency, accountability, and responsible leadership. This government has not only deepened poverty across the country, but it has also set new records in wasteful public spending. At a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive, government officials are living in excess and approving budgets that benefit the elite at the expense of the common man. It is sad that apart from being the poverty capital of the world, Nigeria has under this administration emerged as the unenviable position as the capital of malnourished children in Africa having beaten Sudan, ...