At a rare and high-stakes gathering that blended moments of applause with audible groans, northern elders converged at Arewa House in Kaduna State for a two-day summit to rate the state of the region under President Tinubu’s administration.

What unfolded was a chorus of conflicting views—praises for infrastructural and security strides, as well as disappointments over neglect and unmet promises.

The summit organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, a pro-North forum founded in 2009 by the

19 Northern state governors, was attended by serving and former governors, ministers, security chiefs and traditional leaders.

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, introduced his fellow ministers, political advisors and heads of agencies who, alongside other governors, defended President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda amid echoes of criticisms.

The event was themed: ‘Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizens’ Engagement for National Unity.’

Arewa Consultative Forum VS Tinubu’s men

It was like a verbal clash between the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and President Tinubu’s men on Tuesday, the opening day of the summit.

Noting that the region significantly contributed to the victory of President Tinubu in the 2023 elections, the Chairman of the ACF Board of Trustees, Bashir Dalhatu, alleged that the incumbent government has neglected the region, especially in its budget allocations and infrastructural development.

“Two years into President Tinubu’s four-year tenure, the feeling among the people of the North is, to put it mildly, completely mixed,” Mr Dalhatu said.

“To our surprise, those who did not support him, did not vote for him, and hardly wished him well have emerged from nowhere and are now attempting to drive a wedge between him and the North,” he added.

Mr Dalhatu cited federal budget figures to underscore the alleged neglect.

“Of the N1.013 trillion allocated to roads in the current federal budget, only N24 billion — less than one per cent— was earmarked for projects in the North-east.”

According to him, a regional breakdown of allocations depicts the imbalance where the South-west received N1.394 trillion, South-east, N205 billion, North-west, N105 billion and North-east N30 billion.

“Sadly, this discriminatory practice is not hidden — it is now done openly, without apology,” Mr Dalhatu’s voice echoed in the room.

The chairman also described allocations to agriculture as insignificant, a sector he said heavily relies on the productivity of the northern region.

“Despite the apparent goodwill of the Tinubu administration, budgetary allocations to agriculture remain under five per cent, far below the 25 per cent recommended by the FAO” said Mr Dalhatu.

He urged the administration to complete some critical projects in the region such as the Mambilla Hydroelectric Dam, Baro Inland Port, and Ajaokuta Steel Mill.

“President Tinubu should be persuaded to declare a state of emergency in the electricity sector,” he added. “Without adequate power infrastructure, the North doesn’t stand a dog’s chance of economic development.”

Mr Dalhatu said addressing these gaps will fix what he described as “open marginalisation” of the northern region.

But President Tinubu’s helmsmen rose to paint a different picture.

Both the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani and his Gombe counterpart, Inuwa Yahaya, countered Mr Dalhatu.

They said the president is committed to fulfilling his promises to the north.

Mr Sani said the northern woes should not be blamed on Mr Tinubu.

“Yes, President Tinubu made promises. But let’s be honest with ourselves: he has kept faith with the North in many critical areas — security, agriculture, education, and economic inclusion. The real question is, have we kept faith with our people as northern leaders?”

A former Niger State governor, Mu’azu Aliyu, who is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), backed them.

“Our problems didn’t start today, and they weren’t caused solely by this government,” Mr Aliyu, who is also the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, said.

“Many of us who watched and did nothing must also bear the blame. We failed to act when it mattered most.”

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, said President Tinubu’s administration will leave no region behind.

Also, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was represented by Aliyu Moddibo, his Special Adviser on General Duties, noted that the current administration’s inclusive reforms were in line with the economic reality of Nigerians.

Words from other ministers, heads of agencies

Other ministers and heads of agencies also trumpeted the goodwill and achievements of Mr Tinubu.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, said the administration is implementing policies aimed at transforming Nigeria’s economy and fulfilling the promises made to Nigerians.

“The President has complete faith in Nigeria. He does not make decisions based on ethnicity or region. His government is rooted in fairness and inclusivity,” he said.

On the fight against banditry and terrorism, National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu said the Tinubu administration has made giant strides in protecting lives and properties.

Mr Ribadu said Nigerian security forces have subdued and killed some of the terrorists leaders terrorising the Kaduna-Abuja highway, making it safer for travellers.

The NSA noted that once troubled highways from Zamfara to Katsina, Kaduna-Abuja and Kaduna to Birnin Gwari that were a nightmare for travellers, can now be travelled at night due to improvement in security.

Displaying a slide at the event, Mr Ribadu identified by name the terrorist leaders that were killed by the security forces and identified the hideouts of several others being trailed by the security forces.

He said efforts made by the security forces, especially the air force, have recently prevented attempts to attack trains in the area.

Despite these achievements, Mr Ribadu said, “Politics will not allow people to give us credit; it is okay and fine.”

Further highlighting the achievements in the security sector, the Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru, said Nigeria is rapidly approaching the needs of its military equipment produced locally in the country.

Mr Badaru said the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has reached 40 per cent of the country’s needs for the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) – a heavily armoured military vehicle designed to transport troops and equipment.

Mr Badaru responded to a question by a participant at the event, Ibrahim Idah, who wants the federal government to equip the police with armoured personnel carriers and state security outfits with automatic weapons in confronting local security challenges.

He said Mr Idah’s submissions would be presented to President Tinubu and the National Security Council for consideration.

Also, responding to Mr Idah, the Chairman of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, however, called for caution on arming vigilantes.

Mr Marwa cited a recent case of a vigilante commander in Borno State suspected of peddling drugs who honoured the invitation of the anti-drug agency “with over 50 armed men”.

N20 billion spent on PHCs – Pate

On the struggling primary health sector, Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, said the federal government disbursed over N20 billion to fund more than 4,000 Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) across the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the last two years.

Mr Pate said the funds were channelled through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to enhance access to quality healthcare at the grassroots.

 According to him, 4,362 PHCs benefited from the intervention, a move he said aligns with President Tinubu’s commitment to improving healthcare outcomes and reducing inequalities in access to health services.

In addition to the PHC interventions, Mr Pate noted that 274 capital projects have been completed across 35 tertiary hospitals in Northern Nigeria.

These hospitals, he said, have served over 4.5 million outpatients and 1.6 million inpatients, further underscoring the administration’s focus on strengthening tertiary healthcare infrastructure.