Kwankwaso Accuses Tinubu Government of Neglecting the North

Former Kano State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has taken a swipe at the Bola Tinubu administration, accusing it of marginalising northern Nigeria while concentrating the country’s resources in the southern region.

Speaking during the Kano State Stakeholders’ Dialogue on the 2025 Constitutional Amendment held on Thursday, Kwankwaso called for fairness in the distribution of national resources, warning that the current pattern of allocation is dangerously one-sided.

“Let me advise the Federal Government on the distribution of federal resources,” he said. “From the information available to us, it’s like most of the national budget is now tilting in one direction in this country.”

The NNPP leader alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is favouring the southern part of the country in infrastructure and budgetary decisions, while neglecting the needs of the North.

“Let me advise those who are struggling by all means to take everything to remember that some of the issues that we have in this part of the country today have to do with the lack of enough resources and mismanagement of the little that comes in,” Kwankwaso said. “That is why we have insecurity, we have poverty and so on. It is happening here mainly, but like a desert, it would go everywhere.”

He lamented the poor condition of roads in the northern region, especially the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway, which he said has remained in a terrible state despite being under construction for years.

“Yesterday, I was to come by air, but unfortunately, my airline decided to shift our takeoff from 3pm to 8pm. I had to come by road. From Abuja to Kaduna to Kano was a hell. Terrible. Very bad road. This is a road started many years ago, right from the beginning of the leadership of the APC,” he recalled.

“Now, we are told that there is a road from the South to the East. We support infrastructure anywhere in this country…and any other thing that is good for the masses but a situation where government is taking our resources and dumping it in one part of the country and other parts of the country are left just like that, I don’t believe that is the right thing to do by the government itself.”

Kwankwaso urged President Tinubu to adopt a more inclusive approach in managing national resources and governance.

“This is the time for the government to change, to convince our people that the government is not just on one side of the country,” he stated.

A New Political Attraction

With the 2027 general election drawing nearer, Kwankwaso—founder of the red-cap-wearing Kwankwasiyya Movement—is emerging as a central figure in political realignments. Once seen as a staunch opposition voice, he is now being courted by multiple parties, including the APC, PDP, Labour Party, and African Democratic Congress (ADC), all hoping to secure his support.

His recent meeting with President Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa has further sparked speculation that the president is considering an alliance with Kwankwaso to neutralize the opposition coalition formed by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi ahead of 2027.

Kano, where Kwankwaso holds a firm grip, has consistently delivered one of the highest voter turnouts since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999—making it a critical electoral battleground.

In the 2023 presidential election, Kano produced about 1.7 million votes, with Kwankwaso leading the tally at 997,279 votes, while Tinubu polled 517,341, Atiku scored 131,716, and Obi trailed with 28,513. Remarkably, Kwankwaso won in 38 out of the 44 local government areas of the state.

Nationally, Kwankwaso finished fourth with 1,496,687 votes, while Tinubu emerged winner with 8,794,726 votes, followed by Atiku with 6,984,520, and Obi with 6,101,533.

Currently, his political protégé, Abba Kabir Yusuf, governs Kano under the NNPP banner, but the APC still controls two out of the three senatorial seats in the state.

As 2027 approaches, Kwankwaso’s political influence and strategic positioning are drawing fresh attention—and potential alliances that could reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.