The Presidency has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s right to seek a second term in office, asserting that he is entitled to the same constitutional privilege enjoyed by his predecessor, the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
This was made known by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, during an interview with Trust Radio on Wednesday.
Onanuga urged northern politicians to exercise patience and allow the South to complete its rightful turn at the presidency, noting that the southern region supported and waited through Buhari’s eight-year leadership.
“This president is a Nigerian. He deserves the same two terms that Buhari had. Let’s not sacrifice the country for personal ambition,” Onanuga stated.
He dismissed recent claims of marginalisation by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), describing them as politically motivated and part of a broader agenda to discredit President Tinubu’s administration due to his southern background.
Responding to allegations that federal appointments have disproportionately favoured the Southwest, Onanuga challenged critics to provide factual evidence rather than general assumptions.
“You need to get your statistics right. It’s all political mischief designed to undermine the President. There are bad roads across the country, not just in the North,” he said.
Onanuga also addressed claims of neglect in northern infrastructure development, arguing that Tinubu’s administration inherited numerous stalled and abandoned projects from previous governments and is gradually addressing them.
Highlighting progress in national security, he pointed out that key security positions are currently held by Northerners. He cited improved safety along previously volatile routes as an indication of government performance.
“The National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, and the two Defence Ministers are all Northerners. Places like Birnin Gwari and Igabi in Kaduna are now safer. I drove from Kaduna to Abuja without incident, a journey that was once unthinkable,” he added.
