By Sunday Ameh
The Convener of the League of Northern Democrats and promoter of the All-Democratic Alliance, Dr Umar Ardo, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of short-changing Northern Nigeria in the distribution of federal resources, political appointments and economic opportunities.
Ardo made the allegation during an interview where he assessed the performance of the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 general election.
According to him, the disparity was particularly evident in the actual release of funds to federal ministries, which he claimed favoured the South.
He said, “The budget to the ministries and the actual releases of funds, the North could have not been equated with the South at all. By far the South has received more releases about five times than the Northern ministries.”
Ardo also alleged that critical government appointments and parastatals had largely gone to the South, particularly the South-West, creating a sense of exclusion among many Northerners.
He argued that government performance should not be measured merely by the number of Northern politicians appointed but by the actual distribution of resources, opportunities, infrastructure and development.
On the economy, Ardo said he could not identify significant benefits of the Tinubu administration’s reforms for Northern Nigerians.
He argued that subsidy removal, inflation and the depreciation of the naira had severely weakened purchasing power, particularly in a region with a large population of poor citizens.
“I do not see in any way how the North has benefited from the economic reforms,” he said.
Ardo further claimed that the reforms had pushed many Northerners from poverty into deeper deprivation, while also putting businesses under severe pressure.
He cited Aliko Dangote and the controversies surrounding the Dangote Refinery as evidence of the difficulties confronting even major businesses.
Ardo also criticised the Federal Government over insecurity in Northern Nigeria, arguing that insurgency, banditry and other security challenges continue to undermine economic activity.
He said the administration should learn from countries that had successfully confronted prolonged insurgencies, stressing that farmers, traders and businesses cannot thrive in an atmosphere of insecurity.
Ardo maintained that Northern voters would judge Tinubu based on their experiences with insecurity, poverty, economic hardship and governance, rather than treating their 2023 support for him as permanent.
He consequently made a strong prediction about Tinubu’s chances in the region in 2027.
“If a free, fair and credible election is conducted in Nigeria, Tinubu can’t get 10 percent of the Northern part,” Ardo declared.
He repeated the position, saying, “If they conduct the election in a free and fair manner, Tinubu will not win 10 percent of the North.”
His comments have placed the Northern electorate at the centre of the political battle expected to intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
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