Haruna Abdulrashid
As ministers, advisers, governors, and other political appointees of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the North gathered in Kaduna to defend his administration’s projects in the region, their efforts were met with a strong rebuttal from prominent Northern groups — the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).
PERISCOPE NIGERIA gathered that during the ongoing Sardauna Memorial Lecture in Kaduna, ACF’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu (Wazirin Dutse), dismissed claims that Tinubu’s northern appointees are genuinely representing the interests of the region.
He accused them of parroting political rhetoric while the region suffers systemic neglect.
Wazirin Dutse backed his argument with budgetary data, highlighting glaring disparities in federal allocations for road projects as of May 2025:
• North East: ₦30 billion
• North West: ₦105 billion
• South East: ₦205 billion
• South West: ₦1.394 trillion
He further criticised Tinubu’s recent $21.5 billion loan request, noting that a significant portion of the funds is earmarked for projects in the South West, including:
• Lagos Green Line: $2 billion
• Western Sugar Grid: $1.07 billion
• Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road: $700 million
• Lekki Access Roads: $250 million
The total allocation for the South West alone amounts to $3.956 billion (approximately ₦500 billion), reinforcing concerns about regional favoritism.
Following ACF’s factual presentation, Tinubu’s northern appointees — many of whom were present to defend the administration — reportedly failed to respond or offer a counter-narrative.
This development has reignited debates about equitable distribution of national resources and the true representation of Northern interests within the current administration.
