….Asked to wait till 2031
Three key allies of President Bola Tinubu from the northern extraction on Tuesday delivered a coordinated message to Northern leaders during a high level security and governance forum at Arewa House, addressing the region’s pressing challenges and political future.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu presented a unified defense of federal policies while issuing frank assessments about security, development and power-sharing arrangements.”
The event, which brought together prominent Northern stakeholders, saw Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu present a coordinated defence of the administration’s policies while offering tough truths to the region’s leadership.
Governor Uba Sani set the tone with a frank assessment of the North’s security crisis, pushing back against attempts to blame the current administration for problems he described as decades in the making.
“Insecurity is not just a failure of arms. It is the result of years of policy neglect, economic exclusion, and weak governance structures,” the governor told the assembled leaders.
Uba Sani did not mince words, particular given the weight Kaduna’s status as one of the states most affected by banditry and communal violence.
With clear explanation, Sani continued: “Our problems did not begin two years ago. They are decades old. It is not honest to put the burden entirely on President Tinubu.”
The governor’s remarks appeared aimed at countering growing criticism of the federal government’s handling of security matters, particularly in Northern states where kidnappings and attacks on communities remain frequent.
Rather than simply defending the administration, Sani challenged his fellow Northern leaders to acknowledge their own failures. “Security is everyone’s responsibility. No president or governor can succeed in isolation.
We must all take ownership of the North’s future,” he said, urging elites to move beyond political posturing and contribute meaningfully to peacebuilding efforts. His message of shared responsibility seemed designed to shift the narrative from federal failure to collective accountability.
Building on this theme, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume delivered a direct bombshell and appeal to Northern politicians to postpone presidential ambitions until 2031.
“I will urge politicians from the Northern Region to wait till 2031,” Akume stated bluntly, framing his appeal as a reward for Tinubu’s inclusive governance.
“Do not join a group that will stifle the various developments achieved by President Tinubu.” The SGF’s unusually specific reference to a future election cycle suggested careful political calculation behind the scenes, positioning 2027 as an uncontested continuation of Tinubu’s agenda.
Akume bolstered his case with a detailed accounting of administration achievements, particularly those benefiting the North. “The Super Highway from Sokoto to Bagary is longer than that of Lagos-Calabar,” he noted, countering perceptions of regional neglect. “Tinubu has appointed so many people from the Northern Region to work with him, and they are doing well. The narrative that the North is not carried along is not true.”
His made a seamlessly defence between the current policies and subtle warning against political challenges, creating a carrot-and-stick approach to maintaining Northern support for the administration.
Perhaps most striking was Akume’s portrayal of Tinubu’s two-year tenure as transformative. “Tinubu has laid a foundation stone for New Nigeria through visionary leadership and commitment to bring dividends of democracy to all citizens and regions of the country without bias,” he declared, presenting the president as a nation-builder deserving of an unimpeded eight-year mandate.
The SGF’s arguments extended beyond politics into policy, citing achievements in “diplomacy and foreign policies, transportation, job creation, education, tax reforms, Local Government Autonomy, national security, sports, war against corruption, peace, and stability.”
Providing the security backbone to these political messages, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, offered a progress report with claims of significant improvement. “Before we came in, bandits were in control in North-Central and other parts of the North, killing innocent people on a daily basis, burning villages and communities,” Ribadu recounted.
“We have traced, identified, and dealt with them”, he declared.
The NSA’s presentation contained several notable data points, including that “Kaduna now is about 80 percent free; no more bandits” – a claim likely to be scrutinised by residents of the state.
His most concrete achievement cited was in the Niger Delta, where he said crude oil production had increased “from one million before to over 1.9 million barrels per day” due to improved security.
Ribadu credited Tinubu’s leadership style for security coordination breakthroughs: “Tinubu instructed the security agencies to work together as one, and we are working together, even with the governors.”
Complementing Ribadu’s assessment, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa emphasised the military’s community focused approach. “Our ways of working are based on collaboration, professionalism, and collective actions, and because we cannot be everywhere, we carry the communities along; security is also about relationships,” Musa explained, hinting at counterinsurgency strategies moving beyond pure kinetic operations.
He flagged youth engagement as critical to lasting peace: “There is also the need to engage our youths fully in activities that will distract them from participating in banditry or terrorism.
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