In a veiled protest against the unending, escalating insecurity and poverty that hit hard on the Northern Zones of the country since the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, prominent citizens and their supporters in the regions have begun to vent their frustration on the incumbent President’s second term ambition through their mass movement into the Coalition opposition party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with the hope to unseat Tinubu in the next presidential election
By Udoka Ekeleme, Abuja
Northern Regions of the country insist that they have been at the receiving end of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government since its inception in 2023. The regions claimed that Tinubu could not have won the presidential election without their block vote. Regrettably, two years into the four years tenure of the government, Northern states are seemingly at a loss on how to explain the ordeal that has befallen them under an administration they sacrificed much to enthrone.
For, the poverty and hardship that have been pounding the North since 2023 when Tinubu removed fuel subsidy and floated the Naira, still remains alarming. This coupled with the rising number of out of school children in the region, multi-dimensional poverty that has resulted in hardship, malnutrition and starvation, as well as insecurity that is pounding the North from all sides are perceived as signs of neglect of the North by the current administration.
Indeed, the Northern regions are sore angry at Tinubu government for paying lip service to, and politicizing insecurity in the region. In sheer frustration, the Sultanate headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar 111, the paramount Islamic leadership in the North, only last week raised the alarm that the government had remained insensitive to the escalating insecurity tearing apart the fabrics of the region.
According to the Sultan’s Jama’atu Nastril Islam (JNI), a group loyal to the Caliphate leader Abubakar 111, in a statement issued Tuesday, July 1, 2025, government had not been proactive on security issues confronting the North. The statement signed by JNI Secretary, professor Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, expressed shock at the repeated failure of intelligence in containing attacks by various kidnappers, bandits and terrorists on communities in the area.
In the statement with the caption, “The Plateau Christian Mob’s Attack on Unsuspecting Muslim Wedding Guests in Plateau State and Other Security Threats in Nigeria Calls for Decisive Action”, JNI said, “The Federal Government should be seen to be proactive on security matters. The recurrence of insecurity cataclysms, including abductions, killings, renewed attacks by Boko Haram insurgents and ethnic violence here and there in Nigeria is alarming, and there is urgent need for redress.
“Citizens are becoming more and more agitated, especially with the Mangu carnages. Flashpoints are known and nothing seems to be done. Thus, deployment of security personnel to flashpoints should be well coordinated”.
Besides, the Northern region is offended at Tinubu due to the Coastal Highway that is being constructed from Lagos in South west to Calabar in the South south region. Reports indicate that the controversial Coastal Highway would gulp a whopping N16 trillion to be completed. Some Northern opinion leaders have criticized the project and Tinubu government for neglecting their region in projects siting.
These alleged misdeeds and misgovernance of Tinubu have pitted him against the regions in the North which now perceive the government as anti-Northern administration that must be voted out come the 2027 presidential election.
Hence, when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar-led Coalition group against Tinubu reelection announced its adoption of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, millions of citizens of Northern extraction felt relieved that there has emerged a vehicle with which to challenge Tinubu in 2027.
On that day in Abuja, the Coalition had adopted the ADC in a jam-packed event as the opposition party that would challenge Tinubu and eventually unseat him in the next general election. The former leadership of the new coalition party had also handed the party over to a new leadership headed by former Senate President, David Mark as the interim National Chairman, while Rauf Aregbesola, a former governor of Osun State and Balaji Abdullahi, a former Minister of Sports as the National Secretary and Spokesman respectively.
A roll call of dignitaries at the ADC adoption ceremony was as impressive as it was intimidating, especially to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the presidency which have remained in panic mode since then. These include Atiku himself who is the leader of the Coalition, Peter Obi and his running mate in the 2023 presidential election, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, Aminu Tambuwal, Liyel Imoke, Babachir Lawal, John Odigie-Oyegun who is a former National Chairman of the APC, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe and Salihu Lukmon.
There were also in attendance Rotimi Amaechi, Abubakar Malami, Solomon Dalong, Mallam Nasir el’Rufai, General Tunde Ogbeha, Uche Secondus, Abdulfatah Ahmed, Jubril Bindow, Emeka Ihedioha, Air Marshall Sadiq Baba Abubakar (retd), Senator Ishaku Abbo, Senator Dino Melaye, Senator Ireti Kingibe, Aisha Yesufu and professor Oserheimen Osunbor.
Still there were Senator Lee Maeba, MD Abubakar, Gabriel Suswam, Dele Momodu, Senator Enyinnaya Abaraibe, Ms Lauretta Onochie, Celestine Omehia, Maryam Inna Ciroma, Senator Aishatu Binani, Captain Idris Wada, Agboola Ajayi, Senator Victor Umeh among numerous others.
The Atiku-led Coalition’s decision to settle for, and adopt the ADC as the major opposition party to challenge Tinubu reelection in 2027, has done irreparable damage to both the ruling APC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which used to be the ruling party and major opposition party. Analysts argued that the PDP is dead and buried with the rebranding of the ADC. PDP has remained a shadow of itself since Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), cunningly hijacked its soul and structures which he allegedly mortgaged to President Tinubu. Many bigwigs of the PDP have since relocated to the ADC leaving the party in shambles.
On the part of the APC, the ruling party has been rattled to its very marrow, the indications are not far-fetched. The first indication that APC is deeply disturbed by the consummation of the Coalition in the takeover of ADC are the reactions that have been trailing the adoption of the ADC from the presidency and notable members of the APC.
In its official reaction, the presidency through the Special Adviser to Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, branded promoters of the Coalition as political desperados who are not being driven by ideology or national interest, but by personal ambition and bitterness against Tinubu.
The APC, through its spokesperson, Felix Morka, said the party was not disturbed by the new ADC because its promoters were swimming in the mud. Wike also claimed that the new ADC was full of failed politicians. Lagos State governor, Sanwo-Olu, stressed that the Coalition would fail because, according to him, Nigerians would support President Tinubu’s second term to ensure that the gains of his bold reforms are realized.
In another desperate move that betrayed jittery, another spokesman of Tinubu on Policy and Communications, Daniel Bwala, predicted that the ADC would collapse within six months. Speaking on Channels Television programme, “Politics Today”, on Tuesday, July 9, 2023, Bwala said, “After one month when they sit down, I am telling you on my honour, in the next six months, that coalition will not even be a conversation. They will scatter “.
In spite of these predictions and talking down on the new ADC by the Tinubu government, there are indications that the Atiku Coalition has been adopted by a wide range of Northern politicians and voters. It was gathered that the Atiku ADC is already taking over PDP structures in the states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Borno, Taraba, Katsina and Niger.
For example, the Kebbi State chapter of the PDP had agreed at a recent meeting that the party members would defect to the ADC as a bloc. According to Dr. Ibrahim Mera, the leader of the Kebbi PDP, it is only a United political front that can rescue Nigeria from the claws of the ruling APC.
On why the Northern region is embracing the ADC with passion, Tentacle’s investigation revealed that the move may not be connected with the inability to find a Tinubu alternative among the Southerners. Some notable political figures who volunteered comments indicated that Atiku’s candidacy could be the motivating factor. They said when the North-South presidency was altered in 2011 to favour the South due to late President Musa Yar’Adua’s demise heavens did not fall when Goodluck Jonathan became president.
If Northern turn was circumvented due to death, “a Southern turn can also be altered due to misgovernance”, one source which craved anonymity said. He added, “This administration is the worst Northern region has ever witnessed, and we’re not prepared for it for another four years after the present regime, that will amount to suicide mission “.
Investigation revealed that many of the APC politicians and those in government may be with President Tinubu in body while their spirit is with Atiku and ADC. It was gathered credibly that what transpired between Buhari and Jonathan in 2015 may repeat in 2027 where a Northern presidential candidate won a sitting president.
One source said, “Obi and Amaechi are not in the equation. Atiku will win the ticket insha Allah”. When reminded that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can still rig the election in favour of Tinubu, the source reacted, “Do you think that can be possible? Except they want to set this country ablaze”.
In support of the assertion that Northern regions have adopted the ADC to oust Tinubu come 2027, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, revealed last week that there are APC leaders who are working tacitly to lend support to the Coalition.
Speaking during an interview on the TVC News “Beyond the Headlines” on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, Lawal said although these individuals have not yet declared publicly their support for the Coalition, they are in perfect alliance with the movement’s goal of unseating Tinubu.
“Yes, there are (APC members working with the Coalition) and they will speak for themselves. Some might not be brave or bold enough to do it the way I have, but there are very many-some told me, including some governors”.
Another indication that the Northern regions may have chosen to pitch tent with the Coalition’s ADC is the revelation by another former SGF, Boss Mustapha, who recently revealed that Tinubu’s claim that he made Muhammadu Buhari President, nominated professor Yemi Osinbajo his running mate, and got Dapo Abiodun elected as governor of Ogun State, was absolutely a falsehood.
While he lectured at the official presentation of the book, “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience” authored by Mallam Garba Shehu, Mustapha dismissed the impression that Tinubu’s camp contributed much to support Buhari presidency. In the lecture he titled, “President Buhari’s Contribution to National Development”, Mustapha said, “I do not want to stir any controversy, but I will make bold to state this- that the merger in 2013 was midwifed to present a Buhari or create a Buhari presidency because we looked at the statistics of the votes that were coming to the table.
“In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo/Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.
“When we were conceptualizing the merger, what would give us a head-start and obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the CPC though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, the NNPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that gave us the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million.
“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside Buhari’s 12.5 million votes was three million”.
