- Warns region’s leaders, politicians against blame game
- More knocks for Kwankwaso over neglect claim
Former Senate President David Mark said yesterday that the North has itself to blame for the various socio-economic challenges currently bedeviling it.
Mark said that given the human and natural resources available to the region, there should have been no reason for it to lag behind.
He therefore asked leaders from the region to stop the blame game and face the reality by collectively finding solutions to the problems.
“These challenges did not develop overnight nor will they disappear until we resolve to take deliberate, collective and decisive action,” the interim National Chairman of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) said.
He spoke while delivering a keynote address entitled “Unity and Social Cohesion: A Panacea to the Challenges facing Northern Nigeria” at the Third expanded meeting of the National Political Consultative Group (NPCG) North.
He said: “We must first admit that we are the architects of our problems. We must stop the blame game if we truly and genuinely want to find a lasting solution.
“If we are to overcome our present travails, we must return to the principles of justice, equity, mutual respect, and shared purpose that once made Northern Nigeria a beacon of hope, peace, unity and development.”
Citing the security challenge in the North, mark said: “Over the last decade, banditry, terrorism, insurgency and communal clashes have turned our villages into battlegrounds, displacing millions and crippling our economy.
“Despite its vast resources, the North remains the poorest region in the country, with alarming rates of illiteracy, unemployment and poor infrastructure.
“Mistrust between and among ethnic groups and religious communities has been exploited by selfish and desperate interests, leading to violent conflicts.
“Instead of uniting for common goals, our elites often prioritise personal and sectional interests over collective progress.
“The challenges facing Northern Nigeria are intricately interconnected.
“Insecurity scares away investors, which, in turn, deepens poverty.
“Poverty fuels desperation and crime. Ethnic divisions weaken our collective resolve to demand good governance.
“Political fragmentation ensures that no meaningful development takes root in our region.
“This is not the North that we inherited.”
However, Mark said overcoming the challenges should start with a shared commitment to reject division and embrace unity, stressing that leaders “tone down our inflammatory statements and return to that golden era when we used to have genuine and deep respect for each other.”
He added: “After all, not long ago we treated each other, first and foremost, as brothers and sisters; when the appellation Northerner captured our collective essence before our ethnic, sectional and religious affiliations.
“Too often, as politicians, we exploit ethnic and religious differences in order to win elections, and thereafter, we leave our people hopelessly divided. The destructive weaponisation of ethnicity and religion we saw in the last election is unacceptable.
“The major cause of division in Northern Nigeria is the perception of marginalisation. We must ensure fairness in appointments, resource allocation, and opportunities.
“Resentment grows when any group feels excluded. But when all see themselves as equal stakeholders, peace flourishes.
“Ignorance is the biggest enemy of unity, social cohesion and development. We must invest in education that teaches our children the value of diversity.
“Let our schools, churches and mosques preach tolerance. Let our media promote stories of cooperation.
“For as long as we continue to treat investment in education with levity and frivolity, for that long shall we continue to reap poverty and insecurity.
“We cannot continue to expect solutions from elsewhere. Northern Nigeria used to be the safest part of Nigeria.
“There were no armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism or fraudsters, but today the story in the North is different.
“The Native Authority, the precursor of today’s Local Government Area, used to have an effective community policing infrastructure where villagers protected each other.
“We have to find a way to reorganise our people in their villages to return to these age-old and tested practices.
“Wherever conflicts arise, we must choose dialogue over inflammatory rhetoric, peace mediation over mutual annihilation, repentance and forgiveness over vengeance.
“Too much blood has been shed in our land. It is time to make peace.
“The North is bleeding profusely, and we are the only ones who can heal it. Let us commit today to: Reject hate speech and divisive politics.
“Invest in unifying projects—education, healthcare and infrastructure. Hold each other accountable for our actions and inactions. Shake hands across the divide and restore our bond of brotherhood.”
Mark’s comments came on the heels of Thursday’s allegation by the leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, that the federal government has been giving preferential treatment to southern Nigeria at the expense of the north.
The former Kano State governor had claimed that “most of the national budget is now tilting in one direction in this country.”
He alleged that the north was not getting its fair share of road construction.
His allegations were immediately countered by Works Minister David Umahi and Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Mr. Sunday Dare, who, in separate statements, listed projects either completed or ongoing in the north, including Kano, Kwankwaso’s state of origin.
They said Kwankwaso’s claims were off the mark.
Arewa Think Tank tackles Kwankwaso over Tinubu ‘neglect’ claim
In its own reaction yesterday, a northern policy advocacy group, Arewa Think Tank (ATT), labeled the former governor’s statement as a calculated attempt to stoke regional tension ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Convener of the group, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, said Kwankwaso’s claims were not only misleading but also aimed at reviving old fault lines for political gain.
“Arewa Think Tank will not support any divisive rhetoric along ethnic, religious or regional lines,” Yakubu said, wondering why Kwankwaso did not speak up when the North faced critical infrastructure deficits under previous administrations.
He warned that resorting to regional politicking would do more harm than good to national unity, and could also undermine Kwankwaso’s chances on the national political stage.
“Such dirty politics will not take him anywhere. It’s time we focused on facts, not emotions,” ATT added.
Yakubu insisted that President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have both demonstrated commitment to balanced national development, including massive projects across Northern states.
He cited the Kano River Irrigation Scheme, commissioned in 2023 and operational under the current administration, as a clear example.
“There’s no North versus South debate here. The list of projects ongoing in the North is long and measurable,” the ATT Convener stated.
He backed his position with official data from the Federal Ministry of Works, showing that as of late 2024, 52.48% of ongoing “legacy” road projects—totalling 1,414km out of 2,735km—are located in the North, while the South accounts for the remaining 48%.
Of the 82 road projects funded through Sukuk bonds, 45 are in the North. For the 260 emergency road interventions carried out nationwide, 108 were executed in the North and 98 in the South.
Yakubu also cited a recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) briefing where Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, clarified that project awards are based on technical need and existing commitments; not regional bias.
He noted that ₦507 billion was approved for the Abuja–Kano Expressway alone, while just ₦24 billion went to a Southeast project.
He listed other active projects in the North including the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway (starting in Kebbi), the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria– Kano Expressway (with over N777 billion in phased funding), and roads linking Sokoto–Illela, Mararaba–Keffi, Kaduna–Jos, Zaria–Sokoto, and Abuja–Lokoja.
In the rail sector, Yakubu pointed to the Kano–Kaduna Standard-Gauge Railway, now receiving a $255 million loan from the China Development Bank, as part of a $973 million funding package to enhance Northern connectivity to Abuja.
He said Kwankwaso’s allegations were not only false but also reckless, especially in a fragile political climate.
“Nigerians must resist the temptation to fall for emotional manipulation. Politicians must be held to a higher standard of accountability,” Yakubu said.
He further argued that the North currently enjoys a slight edge in both the number and scope of federal infrastructure projects. “To suggest otherwise without facts is dishonest and irresponsible, more so coming from someone with presidential ambition.”
ADC unstoppable in the North – Babachir Lawal
Addressing reporters yesterday at the end of the expanded meeting of the National Political ConsultativeGroup (NPCG) North, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, said the ADC was on course to take over the North.
“The truth of the matter is that we started out as what we call a Consultative Forum for Northern politicians, but as the momentum was going on, it appears that the whole of the North has decided that they will join ADC,” he said.
He added: “Our people have encouraged us, they have directed us, and have mandated us to organise ourselves in the manner that we deliver whatever we want through the ADC.”
He claimed that some serving governors and legislators would team up with the party in due course..
Earlier on the sideline of the meeting ADC interim National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed the fear of the coalition being hijacked, stressing that the opposition party is not built around an individual interest or ambition.
According to him, “the process for the building of the party ensures that the party does not coalesce around any individual. And like I repeatedly emphasised, the ADC is not built for anybody’s ambition.
“ADC is a party that is determined to give a different trajectory to Nigerian politics. We don’t have any predetermined agenda. We don’t have any favourite aspirants or candidates.
“We are not having that conversation at the moment. Nobody has ever had any conversation about who will be the party’s flag bearer.
“We believe that it is too early in the day. Our focus now is to build a political party that is strong enough to deliver on the mission that we have set for ourselves.
