Shehu Sani: Northerners have no moral right to reject Tinubu in 2027
By Jeffrey Agbo
Former Senator Shehu Sani has asserted that northerners lack the moral right to vote against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections, citing their failure to hold former President Muhammadu Buhari accountable during his administration.
Sani, a human rights activist, criticised northern opposition to Tinubu’s controversial tax reform bills.
Speaking in an interview with The Sun on Thursday, he argued that northerners who were silent during Buhari’s administration should not blame Tinubu for the region’s challenges.
The tax reform bills, transmitted to the National Assembly by Tinubu last year, sparked widespread criticism from northern stakeholders, including governors, traditional rulers and civil society organisations. Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed described the reforms as “hasty and unfair,” claiming they would centralise revenue at the federal level, leaving states like Bauchi underfunded.
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In response, the ex-lawmaker urged the north to reorganise and focus on leveraging its representatives in Tinubu’s government to drive regional development. Sani also noted that while Buhari appointed many northerners to key positions, they failed to serve the interests of the region.
He said, “Let us tell ourselves the home truth. When our own was in power for 96 months, what did he do? For all the failures, people kept quiet. They refused to hold him to account. They refused to criticise him. They refused to say we voted for you and you failed.
“For eight years, he couldn’t construct any major road to Northern Nigeria. He spent eight years, yet he couldn’t activate the Mambila power plant. He spent eight years, he couldn’t revive or dredge the River Niger.
“He spent eight years, he couldn’t dualise the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano express route. He spent eight years, he couldn’t dualise the Kano, Kaduna, and Lagos express route. He spent billions of naira in the name of agriculture for which there is nothing to show.
“He appointed northerners into offices and they have not served the interests of the North. So, if you cannot hold your son to account, if you kept quiet, if you remained silent, if you folded your arms during Buhari’s administration, what conscience do you have now to threaten someone else with re-election?”