Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Yekini Nabena, has dismissed claims by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso that the South is being favoured in the distribution of federal projects, describing them as attempts to stoke ethnic and regional sentiments ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, Nabena said no ethnic, religious, or regional sentiment, such as those allegedly promoted by the 2023 NNPP presidential candidate, can derail the emergence of a Southerner completing eight years in the presidency.
Reacting to Kwankwaso’s recent comments accusing the federal government of favouring the South over the North in terms of infrastructure and development, Nabena described the former Kano governor’s remarks as a veiled attempt to incite Northern voters against the current administration.
He said, “Such incitement as a political business or negotiation tactic, like some politicians used in 2019 and 2023, can no longer work. The people now know the real intention. Kano voters now understand who is using them for political gains, and even political gladiators now recognise the tricks of political merchants.”
The Bayelsa-born APC chieftain further challenged Kwankwaso to travel through the South-South by road and compare the conditions of road networks in the oil-rich region to those in the North.
Nabena maintained that completing eight years of Southern leadership in Aso Rock is non-negotiable and reflects the principle of fairness and balance in Nigeria’s power structure.
He said, “Is the north inferior or superior to the South after eight years of the north in the helm of affairs of Nigeria? Why is Senator Kwankwaso still complaining of under-development in the North when the region just completed it’s 8 years? One will also wonder which of the northern money or resources was used to develop the South? Is it the Gold, Rice or Groundnut pyramid?
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“As politicians, we all understand what the former Governor is up to. He is working hard to incite the North against the Southern presidency but that has failed woefully because the South must complete the 8 years in the presidency for fairness and equity.”
The former APC spokesman, however, declared that Kwankwaso cannot and do not have capacity to intimidate the South ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“You cannot intimidate the South or anybody with Kano votes any longer because as a politician we all know the game and what you are up to. The era of playing religious or ethnic cards is far becoming unfashionable,” Nabena warned.
