… must embrace unity
…. Kwankwaso must apologize to Tinubu – Umahi
David Mark, the former senate president, says the north must take full responsibility for the challenges plaguing the region.
Mark spoke on Saturday while delivering a keynote address at the third plenary session of the Northern Political Consultative Group held in Abuja.
He said the region’s numerous challenges — from insecurity to poverty — are rooted in its failure to sustain unity and equity.
“We must first admit that we are the architects of our problems,” Mark said.
“We must stop the blame game if we truly and genuinely want to find a lasting solution.”
He described the north as a region blessed with fertile land, rich history, and immense human potential but weighed down by poverty, insecurity, ethnic strife, and stagnation.
Mark said division has cost the region progress, while indifference and inaction have deepened the crisis.
“If we are to overcome our present travails, we must return to the principles of justice, equity, mutual respect, and shared purpose that once made Northern Nigeria a beacon of hope, peace, unity and development,” he said.
Mark warned that insecurity, terrorism, and ethnic tensions have turned many communities into battlegrounds and driven millions from their homes.
“Despite its vast resources, the north remains the poorest region in the country, with alarming rates of illiteracy, unemployment and poor infrastructure,” he said.
Mark noted that the failure of leadership and the exploitation of ethnic and religious differences by the political class had further worsened the region’s plight.
“Instead of uniting for common goals, our elites often prioritise personal and sectional interests over collective progress,” the former senate president said.
He added that the region once flourished under the leadership of Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, because it was governed with fairness and a sense of shared identity.
“The Sardauna did not see Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Igala, Tiv, Idoma, Nupe, Okun and others. The only citizens he saw were northerners,” Mark said.
“He invested in education, agriculture, and infrastructure, not for one group, but for the collective.
“When did we abandon the philosophy of ‘One North, One People’? When did tribalism and religious bigotry begin to define our essence and identity?”
Mark proposed a framework for rebuilding unity in the region, and called on northern leaders to act as bridge-builders.
“Too often, as politicians, we exploit ethnic and religious differences in order to win elections, and thereafter, we leave our people hopelessly divided,” he said.
Mark identified perceived marginalization as a key driver of division, urging fairness in appointments, resource allocation and access to opportunities.
He said education must be deployed as a tool to combat ignorance and intolerance.
Mark argued that job creation, agricultural investment and youth empowerment are essential to tackle insecurity and social unrest.
“Our security challenges are self-inflicted. We cannot continue to expect solutions from elsewhere,” he said.
He called for the revival of traditional community-based policing systems, noting that the old northern region was once the safest part of the country.
Mark also urged political and community leaders to always choose dialogue and forgiveness over violence and retaliation.
“Too much blood has been shed in our land. It is time to make peace. The north is bleeding profusely, and we are the only ones who can heal it,” he said.
”Let us reject hate speech and divisive politics, invest in unifying projects, and restore our bond of brotherhood.”
Umahi to Kwankwaso: Tinubu has done more for the north — you owe him an apology
Meanwhile, David Umahi, minister of works, has criticised Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano, over comments suggesting that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is concentrating infrastructure development in the southern region of the country.
In a statement posted on X by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to the president, Umahi described Kwankwaso’s remarks as misleading and divisive, saying they do not reflect the actual distribution of federal projects under the current administration.
Kwankwaso had on Thursday alleged that the national budget was skewed in favour of the south.
He made the comment during a Kano state stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment, where he said the imbalance in resources and development was contributing to insecurity and poverty in northern Nigeria.
Responding, Umahi said the data on road infrastructure projects contradicts Kwankwaso’s claim.
He cited the ongoing construction of the 1,068km Sokoto-Badagry superhighway, noting that the Kebbi and Sokoto sections alone account for 378km by six lanes — or 756km by three lanes — in the north.
The minister added that the 439km Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe road is also being redesigned to rigid pavement, in line with presidential directives aimed at durability.
He said that of the four key legacy road projects of the Tinubu administration, the north accounts for 52 percent of the total length while the south holds 48 percent.
“In the four legacy projects, the North has 52 per cent and the South 48 per cent. Within the ongoing projects as of today, the South has 409km by three lanes and the North has 756km by three lanes,” he said.
“The facts are there. I wonder why people don’t talk about other legacy projects of Mr President, but will always dwell on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
“This road has only 220km by three lanes in Lagos State, which is ongoing now. Cross River and Akwa Ibom have 130km by three lanes that is ongoing, whereas Kebbi alone has 316km by three lanes that is ongoing. Sokoto has 240km by three lanes that is ongoing.
“I think Senator Kwankwaso is not fair to Mr President and the unity of our country.”
In terms of current works, the north has 756km by three lanes while the south has 409km by three lanes, he said.
Umahi urged Kwankwaso to withdraw his statement and apologise to Tinubu, arguing that the facts on the ground show a balanced and fair approach to national development.
“To my brother, Senator Kwankwaso, you owe our President Tinubu an apology and a duty to withdraw your statement using the information I have provided herein for the benefit of Nigerians and the unity of the nation,” he said.
“I request the good people of Nigeria to ignore Senator Kwankwaso’s misleading statement and know that President Tinubu is fairly committed to developing every part of this country with fairness, equity, and the fear of God.”
He said attempts to present the federal government as biased were politically motivated and intended to stir division.
He also accused Kwankwaso of trying to appeal to northern sentiments by portraying himself as a defender of regional interests, warning that such tactics undermine national unity.
“I consider Senator Kwankwaso’s statement as a statement made out of desperation and as part of his struggle with a few others who believe that they can inherit the impeccable legacy of our dear late President Muhammadu Buhari, and that the only way available for them towards achieving the same is to be divisive and pretentious,” he said.
“Trying to be like our late President Buhari cannot be a job of three decades and cannot be done with deceit.”
The works minister noted that other major road projects under the current administration — including the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano expressway and the Sokoto–Zamfara–Katsina route — further demonstrate federal commitment to infrastructure development across the north.
Earlier on Friday, Sunday Dare, special adviser on media and communication to the president, also refuted Kwankwaso’s claim, describing it as inaccurate and unhelpful.
