The Saturday gathering of so-called “stakeholders” of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North West, where they shamelessly endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term, is nothing short of a slap in the face to the millions of Nigerians suffering under the weight of his failed leadership.
In a lavish display of political recklessness, the APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, governors of Kebbi, Jigawa, and the host governor Uba Sani, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajuddeen Abbas, the Deputy Senate President, DSP Barau Jibrin and an assortment of former governors, ministers, National Assembly members, APC state chairmen, and host of others assembled in Kaduna to pledge their blind loyalty to Tinubu.
While their people are being slaughtered by bandits, starved by unbearable inflation, and abandoned in crippling unemployment, these so-called leaders have chosen to play sycophants to a government that has done nothing but deepened their misery.
The North West is one of the worst-hit regions in Nigeria’s escalating insecurity. Daily, villages are raided, farmers are killed, and families are displaced. Hunger has become a way of life, with food prices skyrocketing beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. Millions of young people roam the streets jobless, with no hope in sight.
Yet, instead of demanding accountability, these “leaders” are busy rolling out the red carpet for a president whose policies have only worsened their plight.
Where was Ganduje when bandits overran communities in Zamfara and Katsina? Where were the governors when their people cried out for help? Where was the Deputy Senate President when families were burying their loved ones killed by terrorists? They were nowhere to be found—until it was time to collect political favours and secure their own selfish interests.
The endorsement of Tinubu by these politicians is not just tone-deaf; it is an act of betrayal. It shows how disconnected they are from the realities of the people they claim to represent. While children are out of school due to insecurity, mothers hawk their belongings to buy food, while young men resort to crime out of desperation—these leaders with their loved ones are dining in luxury, pledging support for a man who has done nothing to alleviate their people’s suffering.
Tinubu’s administration has brought nothing but pain: a disastrous fuel subsidy removal that crashed the economy, a floating exchange rate that destroyed the naira, a security strategy that has left Nigerians more vulnerable than ever and cancellation of former President Buhari’s anchor borrower programme that has brought succour to millions of farmers in the North West. Yet, instead of holding him accountable, these North West “stakeholders” are rewarding failure.
History will remember these politicians as men and women who chose power over principle, who sold their people’s suffering for a seat at the table. They have failed in their duty to speak truth to power. They have failed their constituents. They have failed Nigeria.
The North West deserves leaders who will fight for its people; not praise a government that has abandoned them. The day of reckoning will surely come, and when it does, the masses will not forget this betrayal. Shame on them all!
Sa’adu Sani wrote from Zango, Katsina State.
https://dailytrust.com/north-west-apc-leaders-betray-their-suffering-people/Northern APC: Could it be the Stockholm syndrome? By Babayola M. ToungoStockholm syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages or victims develop emotional bonds or positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the extent of defending them or opposing authorities trying to rescue them. This complex reaction is often viewed as a survival mechanism, where the victim subconsciously aligns with the captor to reduce perceived threats and ensure safety.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have effectively taken the people of Nigeria as hostages, particularly the people of the northern part of the country, who are bearing the brunt of the government’s harsh economic policies and mis-governance. The ransom is the guarantee that Tinubu will be returned as president in 2027.
The leadership cadre of the APC in the North is behaving just like bandit informants, who grovel at the table of the president for leftovers. They are not averse to practically selling their followers to the president as long as he is willing to allow them to keep picking the after-dinner crumbs. The region and the people are of no importance to them.
The gale of “endowments” started like a flicker of flame and ironically was lit by governors from opposition parties in a choreographed manner, and then others queued up to take the kindling from the pioneers. Some say the spread was possible because the president has succeeded in pauperising over 70 per cent of the populace.
The northern leg of the charade began in Kaduna when the North West APC met at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Conference Hall on Saturday, May 18, 2025, with the twin agenda of passing a vote of confidence on the administration (and by extension, administrative style) of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They also “endorse” the president as the party’s sole candidate for the presidential election in 2027. This confidence vote and “endorsement” came amidst excruciating poverty occasioned by unprecedented insecurity in the zone.
The declaration was made while hundreds and thousands from the zone have fled their homes and are living in the open with a hopeless present and an uncertain future. While the leadership of the party is wining and dining in the comfort of the Yar’Adua Conference Hall, their people are dodging bullets and kidnappers in both rural and urban areas throughout the zone.
The North West could be described as the most dangerous zone in the country because bandits are essentially in control of the rural areas in about four of the six states in the zone. The ambience in the affected states discourages any economic or commercial activity in an area that is already grappling with poverty and neglect.
Then the parade of “endorsements” morphed into sycophancy with all governors elected on the platform of the APC coming out to join the queue; then followed the National Assembly, an arm of government that has become an arm of the presidency; then other sundry elected and appointed officials falling head over heels not to be left out in the show of shame.
The people in the North already feel alienated from their political leaders because they believe their needs and concerns are being ignored and are of no consequence to these leaders. What happened in Kaduna and the subsequent follow-ups are just another way of rubbing it in for the poor, hapless people.
It appears our political leaders care less if this could lead to a loss of trust in them and their party. They don’t care whether the people’s discontent can result in lower voter turnout in future elections, as people may feel their participation won’t lead to meaningful change.
The North is a significant region in terms of voter numbers. Losing support here could have a substantial impact on the party’s overall performance in national elections. What I fail to fathom is that the APC planning not to hold elections in the region, thereby disenfranchising the electorate, using insecurity as an alibi?
Is the party planning to sit in a hall, like the Yar ‘Adua Conference Centre hall and write results for an election that couldn’t be held and declare Tinubu and the APC as winners? Do they care whether disillusioned voters might shift their support to opposition parties that promise to address their concerns, thereby weakening the APC’s electoral base?
The very essence of the livelihood of the people of the North has been under direct attack for the past 15 years, which Tinubu’s ‘I don’t-care’ attitude is aggravating. Herders and farmers are not allowed to co-exist, which, in my view, is deliberate; this successfully denies the region any meaningful economic or commercial activity.
The level of poverty in the region is second to none in the country with all the indices indicating the backwards trajectory of the region. School-age children are roaming the streets; rural-urban migration is on the increase thereby increasing pressure on the urban areas, stretching existing infrastructure and services.
I am just scared that if the neglect is severe, it could lead to protests and demonstrations, which might disrupt social order and create instability. Persistent unrest can lead to more security challenges, requiring government intervention which we all know may lead to the killing, maiming and destruction of properties, which will only exacerbate the poverty level of our people. I pray for the North and hope this is not a case of the Stockholm Syndrome.
Toungo can be reached via babayolatoungo@yahoo.co.uk https://dailytrust.com/northern-apc-could-it-be-the-stockholm-syndrome/ nlfpmod 
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