To say that most Northern elites are fed up with the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is simply stating the obvious. The no love lost relationship between him and many power brokers in the region has arguably escalated to intense hatred for theJagabanof Borgu. If they could have their way, many northern elites would be glad to see him out of Aso Rock today. In 2023, when the likes of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, stuck out his neck to ensure that the President clinched the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential ticket and his eventual victory at the poll, none could have imagined that things could go south between the duo. What was once a respectful and mutually beneficial political alliance has long given way to disappointment and despair, much to the bewilderment of the region’s many power brokers.
With the 2027 presidential election fast approaching, many northern leaders have vowed to teach our President a lesson or two in partisan politics. Recently, over 1,000 Islamic clerics from the North gathered in Kano, where they sent a clear and unambiguous message to President Tinubu – drop your 2027 ambition. The clerics premised their decision on what they termed ‘worsening economic hardship, insecurity, and the exodus of skilled professionals from the country.’ They had assembled in the ancient city of Kano for a national conference titled, ‘An Assessment of the State of the Nation under President Tinubu and the 2027 General Elections.’
The clerics, under the umbrella of Ko Da Naka, for the struggle to promote good governance, with AFAQ Educational Foundation, expressed dissatisfaction with the direction that the Tinubu’s administration was heading as well as its handling of the country’s economic and security challenges.
They faulted several economic policies of the administration, such as the removal of the petrol subsidy, changes to the naira exchange-rate regime, increases in electricity tariffs, and tax reforms, saying that the measures have increased the burden on ordinary Nigerians.
According to the communique issued at the end of the parley, the participants unanimously agreed that the government has continued to pursue policies that are worsening the hardship for the common man.
“It is unfortunate that the government has continued to insist on pursuing these policies, which are increasing hardship amongst the people, rather than reviewing and correcting them.
“The government prioritised the growth of its revenue at a time when the rising cost of living and unemployment are threatening the lives and well-being of citizens.
“Consequently, participants at the conference unanimously agreed that it would be inappropriate to re-elect this government in the forthcoming 2027 general elections if it does not change its harmful economic policies.
“Alternatively, the President should refrain from contesting the 2027 election. If he refuses to do so, it is incumbent upon citizens to reject his candidacy and allow those whom they believe can provide better leadership,” the communique stated.
Not long after the clerics spoke, a movement known as ‘Tinubu Must Go’ (TMG) soon sprang up in the North consisting mostly of youths wearing branded T-shirts with the same inscription. Some of them were quickly rounded up by security agents in Borno State. A similar group soon emerged in Kano state, with a promise to hold a peaceful rally. However, the police and other security agents cordoned off their chosen venue. Abba Hikima, a lawyer, and one of the conveners of the movement, vowed that the group will go ahead with its rally, insisting that President Tinubu must be chased away from power. According to the movement, the TMG is a non-partisan platform set up to create public enlightenment aimed at mobilising Nigerians to vote out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections. The group hinged its action on the administration’s economic policies, which it said, had inflicted hardship on citizens.
Speaking in a live video posted on his verified Facebook page on Sunday last week, Hikima, wearing a shirt and fez cap bearing the inscription, ‘Tinubu Must Go’, alleged that about 10 mobile police vehicles had been stationed at the venue of their planned meeting. Some policemen were seen in the background of the video.
“Today, the 11th of October, 2026, we gathered here in Kano State in order to exercise our fundamental human rights and to associate freely in order to exchange ideas and educate ourselves on the need to send away the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Nigeria.
“It is clear to Nigerians that Tinubu has failed and there is need for Nigerians to come out and chase him away. But today, as usual, and as part of the entrenched and systemic corruption, insecurity, recklessness, and injustice of this country, you can see already that over 10 vehicles of mobile police have been stationed here to prevent us from going ahead with our rally.’’
While I agree that Tinubu’s economic policies have made life difficult for most Nigerians, Northerners should be bold enough to tell themselves the home truth – the crisis facing the region has been with them for over two decades and predate the Tinubu’s administration. Where were the clerics when former President Muhammadu Buhari was in power for eight solid years with little or nothing to show for those years in power? Buhari, a former military General was in power for eight years and could not really do anything to tackle the insecurity that is threatening to consume the entire North.
Banditry and kidnapping became a full-time business venture in the North West, while terrorism became synonymous with the North East, and yet, a full-fledged military General could not find a lasting solution in spite of the fact that most of his Service Chiefs were also from the North. Most parts of the North became a no-go area as bandits and criminal elements operated freely. Farming became a herculean job, as farmers are targeted for abductions and sometimes, eliminated at any time. In most villages in the North, farmers have to negotiate with bandits and devise a sharing formula for harvest time if they are allowed to till the land at all.
Religious extremism, which reared its ugly head in Northern Nigeria in the late 90s has become a multi-dimensional security and socio-economic crisis that has displaced millions, claimed tens of thousands of lives, and severely destabilised the region. Driven by a complex mix of radical ideologies, deep-seated poverty, and governance failures, this phenomenon manifested most prominently through violent insurgencies, mass abductions, and sectarian clashes.
Again, the country has one of the most dismal statistics, having the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, no thanks to the lackadaisical attitude of many northern leaders to education. About 66 of the 69 per cent of Nigeria’s out-of-school children are concentrated in the northern region (specifically the North-West and North-East geopolitical zones), according to UNICEF data. Other regional groups like the Northern Elders Forum estimate that up to 80 per cent of the country’s total out-of-school population is in the North. Yet, there is no declaration of a state of emergency from any of the northern governors on education. Those ‘born-throway children’ (apologies to the former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan), became cannon fodder and easy recruits for criminal elements in the North.
In this same region, malnutrition is more than a seasonal crisis. It’s a long-term emergency. There are thousands of malnourished children at risk of not just lifelong physical and cognitive challenges, but death. Malnutrition can have a long-term impact on a child’s brain development, the immune system, and motor development. Affected children may miss key milestones such as crawling by 8–10 months or walking by 18 months. International aid organisations such as Doctors Without Borders are now in the region, helping the country take care of her young children. How sad! Over 5.4 to 6.4 million children aged 0 to 59 months suffer from acute malnutrition across Northern Nigeria (Northeast and Northwest zones). All these challenges were not manufactured by the Tinubu’s government.
Arising from that, literacy levels in Northern Nigeria are significantly lower than the national average, marked by sharp disparities across zones, states, and genders.
The North-East has the lowest literacy rates in the country, with adult and youth literacy heavily impacted by prolonged conflict and insurgency. Literacy stands at roughly 40.7 per cent for men and drops to 21.5 per cent for women in the region.
The North-West shows similar structural challenges, with male literacy around 40.8 per cent, and female literacy at 23.8 per cent. States like Jigawa record female literacy rates as low as 6.7 per cent.
The North-Central generally performs better than the North-East and North-West zones, with male literacy around 57.6 per cent and female literacy at 35.9 per cent, buoyed by higher-performing states like Kwara and Plateau. These challenges have been with the North from time immemorial.
In tackling the root cause of the crisis, the North must be ready and willing to embrace western education, which many elites, particularly Islamic clerics, still frown upon in this 21th century. The Goodluck Jonathan government from whom Buhari took over, established what was then known as the nomadic education, all in a bid to entice northern youths back to the classrooms. The programme did not receive enough support during Buhari’s regime.
Those clerics chanting “Tinubu must go” should tell Nigerians one single press statement they issued in support of western education then or even now. We cannot tackle the insecurity challenges facing the nation without massive campaigns for northern youths to embrace western education.
The elites in the North that are now wearing ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-shirts should tell the world the numbers of rallies they held to call the attention of the Buhari’s government to the rot facing the North while he was in power. Except for Mrs. Aisha Buhari, who despite being the then First Lady, who had the courage to complain on the direction the Buhari administration was going, many northern leaders kept mute throughout his reign. Not many Nigerians will forget his controversial remark in response to his wife’s criticism made in October, 2016, that women belong in the kitchen and ‘za oza room’.
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On October 14, 2016, through the BBC Hausa Service, the then First Lady stunned the world when she declared that her husband’s government had been hijacked by a few people who did not even know the party’s vision. She stated plainly that out of 50 people the President had appointed, he probably didn’t know 45 of them.
If Northern clerics and the elites are honest with themselves and now desirous of development of the region, they should do so devoid of partisan interests and be ready to embrace western education. The real salvation will begin when parents bear and look after their children responsibly, do away with the Almajiri culture, where kids are born and left uncared for in the name of acquiring Islamic education. Both Islamic and western education can be successfully combined to breed well-grounded, educated, and God-fearing adults.
State governors in the region should also rededicate themselves to the welfare of the masses and show enough commitment to education, skills development, and empowerment. By so doing, they would be fulfilling the commandment of Allah to seek knowledge as enshrined in Chapter 96, verses 1-5 of the Holy Qur’an.
For the benefit of non-Muslims, the verses state in what is closest to their meanings: ‘Read in The Name of your Lord, Who created (1) Created man from a clinging clot (2) Read! And your Lord is The Most Generous (3) Who taught by the pen (4) Taught man that which he knew not (5).’
See you next week.
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