By James Adamu
A prominent northern group, the Northern Patriots, has demanded that Nigerians begin the process of recalling every member of the National Assembly.
The group accuses the lawmakers of betrayal of trust and complicity in the “systematic marginalisation” of the northern region.
The call was contained in a statement issued by the group’s president, Alhaji Babagida Muazu on Sunday, in which he alleged that the current legislature has become a “rubber stamp” for powerful interests within the executive branch, allowing for a dangerous diversion of public funds.
Muazu claimed that the Federal Government is currently implementing new infrastructure and social projects worth billions of naira that were never approved by the National Assembly in the 2025 Appropriation Act.
He further alleged that the majority of these off-budget projects are concentrated in the South-West, calling it a “covert strategy to divert national resources.”
“The National Assembly has sold out Nigerians for a cup of garri,” Muazu stated. “We are witnessing the most docile and directionless set of lawmakers since 1999. They have surrendered their oversight powers and chosen to look the other way while a sectional agenda is being executed under their watch.”
He saved particular criticism for northern legislators, whose silence he described as a betrayal of their constituents. “Instead of defending their constituencies, these lawmakers have turned themselves into errand boys of the executive,” he alleged. “They attend oversight visits that end with envelopes instead of accountability. They are watching as the government executes off-budget projects that favour a section of the country at the expense of millions of northern citizens.”
In response, the Northern Patriots announced plans to mobilise civil society, traditional rulers, and youth movements across the 19 northern states to initiate the formal recall of their senators and members of the House of Representatives. “We cannot continue to tolerate this level of irresponsibility. The North will not be treated as a colony of silence,” Muazu declared.
He concluded by framing the issue as a national crisis, urging all Nigerians to “wake up and defend the republic.” He insisted the movement was about restoring accountability, not regional rivalry, and warned that the legislature’s failure to act had forfeited its legitimacy.
The group also promised to soon release a detailed report naming the specific projects and agencies involved in the alleged scandal.
Discussion about this post