Tinubu Neglecting North, Says Babachir Lawal

Babachir Lawal

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has publicly aligned with Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, voicing serious concern over what he describes as the marginalisation of northern Nigeria by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Speaking on Sunday Politics, a current affairs programme on Trust TV, Lawal accused the federal government of ignoring the North in key developmental efforts, particularly infrastructure projects, saying there is little to no visible federal presence in the region.

“Every Nigerian that has anything to do with the North will know that no infrastructure work is going on at any level,” Lawal stated. “We don’t see any construction work. We don’t see any infrastructure going on. No federal government project whatsoever.”

Lawal, himself an engineer, emphasized that his technical background allows him to notice the absence of tangible development just like Kwankwaso and Works Minister David Umahi, who are also engineers.

“Kwankwaso knows what he’s talking about,” Lawal said. “He’s an engineer too, and so am I. Engineers see things differently. Any honest Nigerian knows the North is being marginalised.”

He accused the Tinubu-led government of dismantling previous progress made in the region and acting in ways that appear designed to weaken Northern Nigeria's development.

“The sense we get as Northerners is that if this government can destroy what they inherited, they’ll willingly do it.”

Lawal didn’t stop at criticizing policy; he also questioned the electoral future of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North. He expressed doubts that any serious Northern politician would risk contesting future elections under the APC banner.

“Which elected official from the North will campaign under APC in the coming election? Nobody. Except you have no plan to win,” he said. “Unless they join ADC, they will not win—simply because APC is a destructive party.”

In response to similar allegations made earlier by Kwankwaso, Minister of Works David Umahi dismissed the claims as misleading and politically driven. Umahi asserted that a substantial portion of the administration’s infrastructure investments are actually concentrated in the North.

“Over 52 percent of our key road infrastructure—like the Sokoto–Badagry superhighway—is in the North,” Umahi said.

Presidential media aide Sunday Dare also defended the administration, noting that over 40 significant federal projects are ongoing or have been sustained in the North. He described the accusations as baseless and aimed at stirring regional division.

Babachir Lawal’s comments underscore a growing discontent among Northern political elites who feel excluded from President Tinubu’s national development agenda. While the presidency insists that the North is not neglected, the political fallout from these allegations could reshape alliances and voter sentiment ahead of the 2027 elections.

The debate continues: Is the North truly being marginalised, or are these criticisms a prelude to a broader political realignment?

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