By Ismael Abubakar
On Tuesday, July 29, and Wednesday July 30, 2025, the historic Arewa House in Kaduna became the epicenter of a pivotal political and civic discourse in Nigeria. The Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF), a non-partisan organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of Northern Nigeria’s late Premier, Sir Ahmadu Bello, hosted a two-day Citizens Engagement Forum, themed “Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizen Engagement for National Unity.”
This gathering, attended by a diverse array of stakeholders from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, served as a platform for evaluating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration two years into its tenure. At the forefront of this event was Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, whose impassioned defense of Tinubu’s leadership and unprecedented support for sub-national governments signalled a bold rallying cry for the North to back the President’s re-election bid in 2027.
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The SABMF, established in 2009, has consistently championed initiatives that foster accountability, unity, and progress across Nigeria. This 2025 forum was a continuation of its 2022 pre-election engagements, where presidential candidates, including then-candidate Tinubu, presented their manifestos and made commitments to Northern Nigeria’s development. As articulated by the Foundation’s Director-General, Abubakar Umar, the event aimed to “bridge the gap between government policy and public perception,” ensuring citizens are informed and empowered to hold leaders accountable. The presence of high-profile figures—former governors, ex-ministers, traditional rulers, technocrats, civil society actors, and religious leaders—underscored the forum’s significance as a barometer of Northern sentiment toward Tinubu’s administration.
Governor Uba Sani, a former senator who described himself as a “proud son of the North,” and the chief host of the event, seized the moment to deliver a compelling narrative. His speech was not merely a defense of Tinubu but a call to action for Northern leaders and citizens to recognize the President’s contributions and unite behind his vision for a second term. Sani’s remarks were rooted in a blend of pragmatism and regional pride, invoking Sir Ahmadu Bello’s legacy of service, vision, and unity as a guiding principle for contemporary governance.
Central to Sani’s argument was his assertion that “no president in Nigeria’s history has supported governors and sub-national governments the way President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently doing.” This claim, reiterated across multiple platforms covering the event, resonated deeply with the audience. Sani highlighted Tinubu’s cooperative approach, which has empowered state governments to address local challenges with greater autonomy and resources. He argued that this level of federal support makes it “unlikely that any governor in Nigeria would go against the president” in the 2027 election, a bold prediction that underscores the political unity within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sani’s assertion was not without evidence. He pointed to transformative federal investments in Northern Nigeria, particularly in agriculture, infrastructure, security, and education. For instance, he lauded Tinubu’s agricultural transformation initiatives, declaring, “No president in the history of Nigeria has supported sub-nationals in agricultural transformation as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing at the moment.” Projects like the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the Kaduna-Kano and Kano-Maradi rail corridors, and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline were cited as tangible outcomes of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to connect Northern producers to broader markets and drive industrial growth.
One of Sani’s most compelling arguments was the progress made in security under Tinubu’s administration, particularly in Kaduna State. When Sani assumed office in 2023, Kaduna was plagued by banditry, terrorism, and kidnappings, with the Abuja-Kaduna highway becoming a notorious hotspot. He recalled that a similar conference held a year earlier might have seen an empty hall due to pervasive fear. However, the introduction of the “Kaduna Peace Model”—a multi-layered strategy combining proactive security operations, community engagement, local vigilante support, and institutional alignment—has yielded significant results. “Ghost towns have come alive, markets reopened, and peace is gradually returning to volatile communities,” Sani stated, crediting Tinubu’s unflinching support, alongside National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and top defense chiefs.
This security turnaround was echoed by other Northern leaders at the forum. Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya, who is the Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, highlighted the elimination of over 300 bandit kingpins and terrorist commanders through coordinated military operations and improved intelligence gathering. These gains, Inuwa Yahaya argued, demonstrate Tinubu’s commitment to stabilizing the North, a region that contributed over 60% of his winning votes in 2023.
Governor Uba Sani also emphasized Tinubu’s reforms in education and financial inclusion as critical pillars of Northern development. The North’s high number of out-of-school children, described by Sani as a “humanitarian crisis,” has been a longstanding challenge. Tinubu’s administration has responded with initiatives like the comprehensive student loan scheme, which has benefited over 400,000 tertiary students nationwide, and vocational training programs to equip youth with relevant skills. In Kaduna, Sani’s administration has complemented these efforts by integrating 2.5 million vulnerable citizens into financial services through partnerships with banks, fintechs, and civil society, reducing the Northwest’s financial exclusion rate from over 65%.
These achievements, Sani argued, reflect Tinubu’s vision of inclusive governance, where Northerners hold key ministerial and institutional roles as “transformative actors” rather than symbolic figures. “Governance flourishes when it is inclusive,” he declared, urging Northern leaders to move beyond rhetoric and embody Sir Ahmadu Bello’s legacy through bold reforms and citizen engagement.
While Governor Uba Sani was effusive in his praise for Tinubu, he was equally critical of Northern leaders’ historical failures. He challenged the region’s political elite to stop blaming the President for challenges that have festered for over two decades, pointing to their “long silence” as poverty, insecurity, and illiteracy worsened. “It is hypocritical to now heap blame on the Tinubu administration, which has only been in office for two years,” he said, urging leaders to take responsibility and collaborate with the federal government to address systemic issues.
Governor Uba Sani’s criticism was a strategic move to reframe the narrative around Tinubu’s leadership. By acknowledging the North’s internal shortcomings, Sani positioned Tinubu as a partner in progress rather than a scapegoat for regional woes. His call for collaboration was echoed by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was represented by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, who emphasized Tinubu’s commitment to “walking hand in hand with the people” through critical reforms like tax policy, education access, and economic relief measures post-fuel subsidy removal.
Sani’s remarks at the forum were not just a reflection on Tinubu’s performance but a calculated political maneuver to consolidate Northern support for the President’s re-election. The North’s decisive role in the 2023 election, as highlighted by Governor Inuwa Yahaya, makes it a critical battleground for 2027. Sani’s prediction that no governor will oppose Tinubu signals a growing cohesion within the APC, despite realignments in opposition parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has endorsed to challenge Tinubu.
The Citizens Engagement Forum organized by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation was more than a review of Tinubu’s electoral promises; it was a stage for Governor Uba Sani to rally Northern Nigeria behind the President’s 2027 re-election bid. By highlighting Tinubu’s unprecedented support for governors, transformative investments in agriculture and infrastructure, and tangible gains in security and education, Sani painted a picture of a leader committed to the North’s progress. His call for Northern leaders to take responsibility and collaborate with the federal government was a strategic appeal to unity, rooted in the legacy of Sir Ahmadu Bello.
• Abubakar, a development economist and good governance campaigner, writes from Potiskum, Yobe State
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