Afenifere Slams Kwankwaso Over Allegations of Northern Marginalisation by Tinubu’s Administration

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has criticised Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), over his recent claim that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is marginalising Northern Nigeria in favour of the South. Kwankwaso, while speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement in Kano, alleged that the current government was concentrating federal resources and infrastructure in the South, leaving the North behind in development. He cited the poor condition of roads from Abuja to Kano as evidence of the neglect, claiming the region had been abandoned in ongoing national development efforts. Reacting to the statement, Afenifere, through its National Organising Secretary, Otunba Kole Omololu, described Kwankwaso’s comments as reckless, divisive, and a distortion of reality. The group stated that the former governor’s remarks were politically motivated and intended to stir ethnic sentiments. Afenifere maintained that President Tinubu has demonstrated fairness in distributing federal projects across all regions of the country, including the North. The Yoruba socio-political group accused Kwankwaso of remaining silent during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, when several southern regions were allegedly excluded from major infrastructural investments. It noted that during Buhari’s tenure, the North benefited from projects such as the Kano-Maradi railway and other road and agricultural initiatives that received significant federal funding. Afenifere pointed to several ongoing projects in the North under Tinubu’s government, including the Kano–Maiduguri dual carriageway, the Abuja–Keffi–Lafia expressway, the Sokoto–Jega–Kontagora road, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, and the Kaduna–Kano railway. The group also referenced investments in the power sector, including the Gwagwalada Independent Power Plant and renewable energy projects in the North-West. In the health sector, Afenifere highlighted the rehabilitation of facilities such as the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina, and multiple primary healthcare centres across northern states. It also noted the continuation of agricultural programmes and irrigation schemes like the Kano River Project and the Hadejia Valley Project. The group called on political leaders to speak with a sense of responsibility and national unity, cautioning that the politicisation of regional development issues could ignite unnecessary tensions. It urged Nigerians to objectively assess government efforts based on facts rather than emotional or partisan interpretations. In a separate reaction, the Presidency, through the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Mr. Sunday Dare, also dismissed Kwankwaso’s claims. He described the remarks as misleading and unfounded, insisting that the Tinubu administration is committed to equitable national development. He reiterated that several key projects are ongoing in the North and that the region remains central to the administration’s agenda. Kwankwaso has not issued a follow-up statement, but political observers believe the remarks and reactions may mark an early start to 2027 political calculations, particularly with growing conversations around regional representation and governance equity