The President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Shettima Yerima, has disclosed growing discontent in northern Nigeria over their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
Yerima, in an exclusive interview with Saturday Vanguard, expressed disappointment in Tinubu’s administration, citing unmet expectations and increasing frustration in the region.
Yerima explained that the North had placed immense hope in Tinubu, believing that his democratic approach would address the nation’s core issues. He, however, lamented that these expectations have not been met.
“In some quarters, there are certain regrets by the northern region,”
“Don’t forget the eight years of Buhari’s administration brought nothing to the North. So, the expectation was so high that Tinubu knew where the problem lay. Someone like me, who had worked with him and took him as a role model, believed that he knew so much about the problems of this country and would approach the issues not as a military man but as a democrat. But the people are disappointed because they are not getting what they expected of him.” Yerima said.
Yerima acknowledged the challenges Tinubu inherited but stressed that the administration could have implemented policies in a way that mitigates hardship for citizens.
“In fairness to him, the situation was very bad. Everybody knew that whoever succeeded Buhari would go through a very rough path to succeed. We never expected that after eight years of rubbish, Tinubu would perform a miracle in two years,”
“Yes, there are expected reforms, and without kids [challenges], we may not get the result immediately. But what is expected from the government is that whatever policy you are bringing, there must be a cushioning effect so that people would not unnecessarily suffer. People have suffered enough.” Yerima said.
He emphasized that the dissatisfaction stems largely from the administration’s inability to cushion the effects of its policies on the masses.
“If he had done it that way, nobody would have accused Tinubu of ill-intention to balkanize the country or govern against any section of the country. He is very exposed and not a local champion. But sometimes, it is one thing to come up with a policy, and the implementation might not go well with the people,” Yerima added.
Despite the frustration, Yerima urged northern stakeholders to give the administration more time to implement reforms before passing a final judgment.
“The North is angry with the government, but the government still has another opportunity in less than two years to turn things around. So, some of us are not in a hurry to conclude that Tinubu might not be of any good to the North. We know the journey is rough. Let us give him some benefit of the doubt and encourage him,” he said.
However, Yerima warned that if the government fails to deliver tangible results, northern stakeholders would reconsider their political support in future elections.
“If he doesn’t do anything that will positively impact the lives of the people, some of us can gang up against him and put our vote where we know we can get better treatment. We will sit down with all stakeholders, arrive at a conclusion, and look for alternatives. Right now, it is too early to conclude that Tinubu has failed,” he concluded.
The remarks reflect growing tensions in the region as citizens grapple with economic challenges and call for more responsive governance from the Tinubu-led administration.
