Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has accused some Northern political leaders and public figures of applying double standards in their criticism of President Bola Tinubu over insecurity, alleging that many remained silent when similar security challenges escalated under former President Muhammadu Buhari....
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has accused some Northern political leaders and public figures of applying double standards in their criticism of President Bola Tinubu over insecurity, alleging that many remained silent when similar security challenges escalated under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sani said ethnic, sectional and religious considerations influenced the responses of some Northern leaders to insecurity during Buhari’s eight-year administration, but that the same individuals were now blaming Tinubu for the continued killings, kidnappings and banditry in the region.
The former lawmaker made the remarks in an interview with Nigerian Tribune published on October 17, 2026, while discussing insecurity, the 2027 general election and the debate over rotational presidency.
“Most of those making noise today were silent. They were silent for ethnic, sectional, and religious reasons,” he said.
Sani recalled that Northern politicians and public figures had been vocal in criticising former President Goodluck Jonathan over insecurity, particularly following the 2014 abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State.
However, he argued that many of those who demanded accountability from Jonathan became less critical when Buhari, a retired army general from Katsina State, assumed office in 2015.
He cited the abductions of schoolchildren in Dapchi, Jangebe, Kagara and Yauri, as well as attacks on Greenfield University and Bethel Baptist School in Kaduna State, among the major security incidents recorded under Buhari.
According to Sani, some Northern senators also opposed attempts by lawmakers to raise concerns about insecurity during the previous administration.
He said the reluctance to hold the government accountable undermined efforts to address the crisis and encouraged the politicisation of security challenges.
“Nobody says Tinubu has solved all security problems in Nigeria.
There are kidnappings, attacks, terrorism, and banditry going on,” he said.
“But you cannot compare what is happening today to what happened under the Buhari administration.”
Sani argued that those criticising Tinubu over the failure to contain banditry should also account for their positions during Buhari’s tenure.
He specifically questioned why some leaders who did not hold the previous administration to the same standard were now portraying insecurity as evidence of failure by the current Federal Government.
“When Buhari was in power, they saw insecurity as God-sent. And when Tinubu is in power, they see insecurity as the problem and failure of the President to address it,” he said.
The former senator also criticised the performance of security officials who served under Buhari, noting that several senior positions in the military, police and intelligence agencies were occupied by Northerners during the period.
He argued that the regional identity of those in government did not translate into improved security for Northern communities.
Sani further recalled that a traditional title holder in Katsina State who raised concerns about insecurity during Buhari’s administration was suspended.
He cited the incident as an example of what he described as the consequences of failing to hold political authorities accountable, regardless of their ethnic or regional background.
The former lawmaker maintained that insecurity should be assessed on the basis of government performance rather than political loyalty, ethnicity or religion.
“Today, the situation is all laced with ethnic and tribal sentiments,” he said, urging those commenting on insecurity to demonstrate consistency in their criticism of successive administrations.
His comments come amid continuing security challenges across parts of Northern Nigeria, where banditry, mass abductions and attacks on communities have disrupted livelihoods, education and economic activities.
Sani acknowledged that the Tinubu administration had yet to resolve the crisis but insisted that political leaders should not use insecurity selectively to advance their interests ahead of the 2027 elections.
The former senator is also seeking a return to the Senate to represent Kaduna Central.
He has argued that the South should be allowed to complete its turn under Nigeria’s informal power-rotation arrangement before the presidency returns to the North, which had eight years in office under Buhari between 2015 and 2023.