‘Northerners Are Their Own Problem’ – Uba Sani Defends Tinubu’s Re-Election Bid

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has blamed northern leaders for the region’s persistent poverty.

Naija News reports that the governor made the remarks while defending his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, insisting that he would continue to stand by the president despite the economic hardship facing Nigerians.

He said the Northern leaders must look inward and accept their role in the challenges facing them.

Speaking with Daily Trust on Tuesday, Sani said northern leaders had failed to address the region’s problems for years.

“The northerners are their own problem. We shouldn’t run away. The only way to help, I think, is for us to sit down and look at ourselves in the mirror, and accept that we are the problem,” he said.

Sani argued that poverty in northern Nigeria did not begin under Tinubu’s administration, although he acknowledged that the region’s challenges had worsened over time.

He compared the situation to a dilapidated building that had been neglected for so long that repairing it had become difficult.

According to him, northern leaders should accept responsibility for their past failures instead of blaming the current administration for every problem facing the region.

He said he had previously urged political leaders in the North to examine their records and admit that they had disappointed the people, but his calls had not received enough attention.

Despite the economic hardship and public discontent over the cost of living, the Kaduna governor said he had no regrets about supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition.

“I have no apology supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and I will continue to support him till the last minute,” he declared.

Asked whether he was prepared to take political risks for the president, Sani expressed confidence that his decision would eventually be justified.

“I can tell you today, tomorrow, and next tomorrow, that I will be vindicated,” he said.

The governor explained that his support for Tinubu was partly based on their long-standing relationship, which dates back to 1994, when both men were involved in the struggle for the restoration of democracy.

He recalled Tinubu’s association with the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and his support for pro-democracy activists during the military era, when some campaigners were forced into exile.

Sani said their shared commitment to democracy and the devolution of power had influenced his view of the president.

He also argued that Tinubu’s administration had brought benefits to Kaduna State through federal projects and appointments.

Among the projects he mentioned were the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Southern Kaduna, the Federal University of Education in Zaria, the Federal University of Petroleum Resources in Rigachikun and the proposed conversion of Kaduna Polytechnic into a federal university of technology.

He also cited the reconstruction of the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road and the appointment of Kaduna indigenes to senior positions in the Federal Government.

According to Sani, these were benefits to the state rather than personal favours to him.

“The favour he has done is not to me, because he has not given me. It’s to the state,” he said.

The governor also challenged opposition parties to present credible alternatives to Tinubu instead of simply urging Nigerians not to vote for him in 2027.

“When you say don’t vote for Asiwaju, you must bring an alternative,” he said.

Sani maintained that political parties seeking to replace the president must convince Nigerians that they have better plans for addressing the country’s challenges.

On security concerns in Kaduna State, Sani acknowledged that attacks remained a challenge, particularly in Millennium City.

He said he had discussed the situation with military and other security officials, adding that plans were underway to strengthen security presence in the area.