According to a report by The Nation on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, a Legal scholar Saifuddeen Coomassie has urged political stakeholders and communities in northern Nigeria to come together in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as discussions increasingly turn toward the 2027 general election cycle.
He cautioned that any move to resist or frustrate the president’s bid for a second term could aggravate existing instability and deepen tensions across the northern region, which is already facing multiple developmental and security challenges.
He made the appeal on Tuesday while speaking on issues affecting the North, particularly the worsening insecurity, widespread poverty levels, and the rising number of children who are currently out of school.
According to him, these problems continue to undermine social stability and slow down progress in many parts of the region, creating long-term risks for development if not addressed with sustained leadership attention and policy continuity.
Coomassie maintained that President Tinubu, who has been in office for less than three years, still needs sufficient time to fully implement his administration’s policies and reforms aimed at addressing Nigeria’s deep-rooted socioeconomic difficulties.
He argued that the country’s challenges are complex and cannot be resolved within a short period, insisting that disrupting a potential eight-year governance plan would likely slow down or reverse ongoing efforts.
He also directed attention to past leadership within the northern region, stating that several prominent figures from the area have occupied influential positions over long periods without delivering substantial improvements in key sectors.
He specifically highlighted education, agriculture, and internal security as areas where progress has remained limited despite years of leadership by individuals from the region.
The academic mentioned notable political figures such as Nasir El-Rufai, Atiku Abubakar, and Aminu Tambuwal, stressing that leadership responsibility should not be measured solely by holding public office.
He emphasized that meaningful leadership also involves sustained commitment to development efforts and practical engagement aimed at improving the welfare of local communities, rather than political positioning alone.
He further observed that political mobilisation tendencies often become more visible when national leadership is perceived to be outside the northern region.
According to him, such patterns are frequently activated during political transitions but do not always translate into long-term solutions for the structural problems affecting the North, especially in areas such as education access, youth development, and security management.
“You don’t have to be president or governor to help your people. The only thing our northern leaders seem good at is mobilising our people anytime the government is not from the North,” he said…..See More
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