A Northern group, Arewa Think Tank, has told Northern Nigeria to stop being sentimental, rather they should support President Bola Tinubu in his quest to address the numerous challenges facing Nigeria and the North in particular.
The Convener of Arewa Think Tank, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, made the submission shortly after the prayers session it held for the president in Kaduna on Monday.
He said what the North needs at this point in time was not political power, but infrastructural and educational development by a leader who cares for the region.
Yakubu said the group organsied the special prayers for President Tinubu’s 72nd birthday celebration, adding that Nigerians should pray for their leaders rather than curse them as they steer the affairs of the nation for better tomorrow.
Still on the quest for power, the group said a Northerner ruled Nigeria in the last eight years without impacting positively on the region, and therefore urged to put regional sentiments aside, and support Tinubu’s second term in office to ensure development in the zone.
He said “Why will North stop President Tinubu? How can North stop him in 2027 after somebody from the North has done eight years? For us to have peace in this country, the North has no option, no alternative than to vote Tinubu for another second term, so that he can do eight years as well. What North should be thinking now is infrastructural and educational development.
He said with the numerous challenges facing the North, he calls for unity to collectively deal with the insecurity challenges that has undermined the economic and social wellbeing of the region.
Yakubu said “we must tell each other the truth. When former President Muhammadu Buhari was in power we hoped insecurity would have been dealt with, instead it got worse. That means political power has no value for the North.
“However, it is all about democracy and politics when people start angling to run for the presidency, probably to beat Tinubu to it. Everybody has the right to contest for any political position in the country. They have the rights as enshrined in our constitution to associate freely. They can go ahead and contest. For us at Arewa Think Tank, nobody can stop us from supporting the President. All we know is that he will be in power for eight years.”
“We had a Northern President who stayed in power for eight years. So, there is no reason why we will not support President Tinubu for eight years. So far, he has done a lot of works across the country. I was watching the minister of works, David Umahi, saying that Abuja, Kaduna, Kano highways will be completed this year. This is very encouraging because the last administration in the last eight years could not fix it.”
