Shehu Sani, former Senator for Kaduna Central and a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has stated that northerners have no moral justification to vote out President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections over the controversial tax reform bills.
In a recent interview, Sani criticized northern leaders who oppose Tinubu’s tax reform proposals, arguing that they failed to hold the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari accountable for its shortcomings.
He noted that despite Buhari’s eight years in office, the northern region saw little tangible development, with key projects like the Mambila power plant and major infrastructure projects remaining incomplete.
Sani pointed out that northerners remained silent throughout Buhari’s tenure, despite his administration’s many failures, including the inability to improve infrastructure, power generation, and agriculture.
He argued that if northern leaders failed to criticize Buhari for his lack of progress, they should not now have the moral right to challenge Tinubu.
While some northern leaders, such as Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, have criticized Tinubu’s tax reforms for concentrating power at the federal level, Sani called for a reassessment of how northerners in Tinubu’s government could contribute to the region’s growth.
He also emphasized that the criticism of Tinubu’s policies should not be rooted in regional bias but in a genuine desire to hold leaders accountable.
Meanwhile, Murtala Aliyu, Secretary-General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has defended the criticism of Tinubu’s administration, stating that the ACF critiques the current government with the same rigor it applied to Buhari’s administration, irrespective of regional origin.
