Presidency rebuts Kwankwaso’s claims of Northern neglect under Tinubu

Summary

• Kwankwaso accuses Tinubu administration of favouring Southern Nigeria in resource allocation
• Presidency dismisses claims, citing major infrastructure and development projects in the North
• Abuja says investments prove commitment to Northern growth and national unity
• Debate reflects wider regional tensions and 2027 political positioning

Abuja, Nigeria — The Nigerian Presidency has strongly denied allegations made by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso that the Tinubu administration is neglecting Northern Nigeria in favour of Southern development.

Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), made the accusation during the Kano State Stakeholders’ Dialogue on the 2025 Constitutional Amendment held on 24 July.

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso

In his address, he pointed to the poor state of infrastructure such as the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway as evidence of marginalisation, linking underdevelopment in the North to growing insecurity and deepening poverty. He called for equitable distribution of national resources to promote unity and stability.

Responding the next day, 25 July, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, dismissed the claims as unfounded. He outlined a series of ongoing federal projects in Northern Nigeria as proof of the government’s commitment to balanced national development.

Among the projects highlighted were the ongoing Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway rehabilitation, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline.

Dare also referenced a $158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain Development Programme spread across nine Northern states and the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe States, which includes oil exploration and associated infrastructure.

“These projects span critical sectors—energy, agriculture, transportation, and health—and reflect the administration’s unwavering commitment to Northern development,” Dare said.

Public reaction on social media platform X has been mixed. While some users supported Kwankwaso’s claims of regional imbalance, others pointed to the listed projects as evidence that the North has not been sidelined.

The controversy has added fuel to ongoing speculation about Kwankwaso’s possible rapprochement with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections, a move he has denied for now.

Kwankwaso, a dominant political figure in Kano and former governor of the state, has continued to use his influence to draw attention to what he sees as uneven governance. Meanwhile, the Tinubu administration is working to counter such narratives with tangible evidence of inclusion and development.

Analysts say the episode is likely to heighten political jockeying as the country edges closer to another election cycle, with both camps seeking to shape the narrative on regional equity and national cohesion.