The National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, has said President Bola Tinubu has lost significant political goodwill in the North since the 2023 general elections.
Mohammed-Baba also warned that neither former Vice President Atiku Abubakar nor the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, currently presents a convincing political alternative for the region ahead of the 2027 presidential poll.
Naijaonpoint reports that he stated this on Monday during an interview on PrimeTime, a programme on Arise Television.
Speaking on the political mood in the North, the ACF spokesman said many voters in the region had become increasingly disappointed with the country’s political leadership.
According to him, the average northern voter is no longer persuaded by political calculations built around religion, ethnicity or personality.
He said insecurity, economic hardship and poor governance had continued to dominate public concerns, while politicians appeared more interested in power struggles than in addressing the needs of citizens.
The ACF spokesman noted that the North, like other parts of the country, had been badly affected by insecurity and economic pressure, adding that political leaders had not shown enough seriousness in dealing with the situation.
On Tinubu, whose 2023 election victory was partly supported by voters in the North, he said the impact of his policies had been disappointing.
“The impact of his policies on the economy and especially on individual lives has been highly disappointing, if not disturbing.
“Furthermore, the insecurity thing, no matter what the government says, is getting worse. Over a year ago, we talked about the ‘Forest Guards.’ It is only recently, with the event in Oyo and in Borno States, that they are talking of deploying 1,000 forest guards in some of the states but researchers have shown that there are over 30,000 terrorists operating in our ungoverned spaces,” he said.
He also cited insecurity in parts of the North, alleging that some communities had been forced to abandon farmlands due to bandit threats.
“We are gradually normalising self-help, that unless you do something, the government will not be there to protect you. That undermines the essence of the role of the state,” he said.
Speaking on Atiku Abubakar, Mohammed-Baba described him as a “recurring decimal”, saying he had not presented a clear alternative policy direction despite multiple presidential bids.
“I don’t see anything from him that presents an alternative apart from saying this government has failed,” he said. “Where is the beef?”
On Peter Obi, he said the former Anambra State governor had lost goodwill previously enjoyed in the North due to frequent party defections.
“He has moved to two or three parties. The question we ask is: what does he want?” he said.
He also criticised remarks attributed to Rabiu Kwankwaso, saying references to northern historical figures in political messaging were inappropriate.
“In the North, that is very irreverent. It would be highly delusional for him to go that far and say he presents an alternative.
“An alternative in terms of what? Has he articulated anything on the economy, security, or anything on infrastructure? When you keep talking about things in abstract terms that run counter-intuitive to what the people have held on to, you will run into trouble,” he said.
When asked to name a presidential candidate capable of commanding northern support, Mohammed-Baba declined to do so.
“We are waiting to see,” he said.
