Former Kano State Governor and leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of marginalising the northern region in the allocation of national resources.
Speaking during the Kano State Stakeholders’ Dialogue on the 2025 Constitutional Amendment on Thursday, Kwankwaso expressed concern over what he described as a lopsided distribution of federal funds in favour of the South.
“Let me advise the Federal Government on the distribution of federal resources,” Kwankwaso said. “From the information available to us, it’s like most of the national budget is now tilting in one direction in this country.”
The former presidential candidate criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly prioritising infrastructure in the southern parts of the country while neglecting the North, which he said suffers from insecurity, poverty, and poor infrastructure.
“Let me advise those who are struggling by all means to take everything to remember that some of the issues that we have in this part of the country today have to do with the lack of enough resources and mismanagement of the little that comes in,” he said. “That is why we have insecurity, we have poverty and so on. It is happening here mainly, but like a desert, it would go everywhere.”
Kwankwaso cited his recent road journey from Abuja to Kano, which he described as “terrible,” to illustrate the neglect of critical infrastructure in the North. He noted that despite the project starting during the early years of APC rule, the road remains in deplorable condition.
“Yesterday, I was to come by air, but unfortunately, my airline decided to shift our takeoff from 3pm to 8pm. I had to come by road. From Abuja to Kaduna to Kano was a hell. Terrible. Very bad road,” he said.
He added, “Now, we are told that there is a road from the South to the East. We support infrastructure anywhere in this country…and any other thing that is good for the masses. But a situation where the government is taking our resources and dumping it in one part of the country and other parts of the country are left just like that—I don’t believe that is the right thing to do by the government itself.”
Kwankwaso calls for balanced approach
Kwankwaso urged the Tinubu-led administration to adopt a more balanced approach to governance and development.
“This is the time for the government to change, to convince our people that the government is not just on one side of the country,” he added.
The remarks come at a politically sensitive time as the 2027 general election draws near. Kwankwaso, a major northern political figure with a strong grassroots following through his Kwankwasiyya movement, has become a central figure in alliance talks across party lines.
His recent closed-door meeting with President Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa has sparked speculation of a possible alliance ahead of 2027. Analysts suggest the APC is seeking to consolidate support in Kano and other northern states to outmanoeuvre the rising opposition bloc comprising Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In the 2023 presidential election, Kano proved to be a key battleground, with Kwankwaso emerging as the clear winner in the state, securing 997,279 votes. Tinubu followed with 517,341, while Atiku and Obi garnered 131,716 and 28,513 votes, respectively.
Nationally, Kwankwaso placed fourth in the election with 1,496,687 votes, behind Tinubu (8,794,726), Atiku (6,984,520), and Obi (6,101,533).
Currently, the NNPP controls the Kano governorship under Abba Kabir Yusuf, Kwankwaso’s political protégé, though the APC retains influence in the state, particularly at the senatorial level.
Kwankwaso’s rising political value has made him a coveted figure as parties prepare for the high-stakes 2027 contest.
