Northern Youths Send Message To Tinubu, Warn Him Not To Do What Buhari Did

A group of youths from northern Nigeria has called on President Bola Tinubu to avoid doing what Muhammadu Buhari did.

The youths said that Tinubu should prevent what they describe as biased appointments, similar to those made by his predecessor which did not go down well with many Nigerians.

The Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) acknowledged that northerners lack the right to complain about Tinubu’s perceived disproportionate appointments. However, they expressed their view that the country should not continue in the same manner.

Some northern leaders, including Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi, criticized President Tinubu for allegedly favoring the South in his choice of appointees. Gumi claimed that Tinubu appointed more Southern Christians into key positions while overlooking Northerners who supported him in gaining power.

Speaking to the press in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the National President of NYLF, Elliot Afiyo, stated that Tinubu is widening the gap of alleged unequal appointments inherited from Buhari.

Afiyo revealed that from 2015 to 2023, Buhari created an appointment gap of 80 percent for the North and 20 percent for the South. He urged Tinubu not to follow Buhari’s example in selecting his appointees, emphasizing that the country must not continue in the same error.

Afiyo highlighted that previous Nigerian leaders have engaged in biased appointments favoring their regions over others. He noted that former President Olusegun Obasanjo attempted to narrow the gap when he returned to power in 1999 but Buhari increased the disparity to 20/80.

While acknowledging that northerners lack the right to complain about lopsided appointments, Afiyo questioned the sustainability of such practices, urging for a balance in appointments for the good of the nation.