The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has stated that his principal deserves a re-election like his predecessor, late Muhammadu Buhari.
The presidential spokesman asked Northern politicians to wait for their turn, just as the South waited during the tenure of late President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking during an interview with Trust Radio on Wednesday, Onanuga described the Arewa Consultative Forum’s complaints about marginalisation as a veiled attempt to undermine the Southern presidency.
He stated the criticisms against the President as part of a deliberate attempt to undermine his administration because he is from the South.
“This President is a Nigerian. He deserves the same two terms that Buhari had. Let’s not sacrifice the country for personal ambition,” he said.
Onanuga rejected claims that the Tinubu administration is shortchanging the North in appointments and infrastructure, arguing that development challenges are nationwide.
He added that claims that Tinubu is marginalising Northern Nigeria, saying such allegations are politically motivated and rooted in personal ambition.
Addressing the claim that appointments have disproportionately favoured the South-West, Onanuga called on critics to present data rather than rely on broad generalisations.
“You need to get your statistics right. It’s all political mischief designed to undermine the President. There are bad roads across the country, not just in the North,” he said.
He also pointed to key security positions currently occupied by Northerners as evidence of balanced appointments under Tinubu’s leadership.
“The National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, and the two Defence Ministers are all Northerners,” he noted.
Onanuga further highlighted improvements in security in parts of the North, particularly Kaduna State.
“Places like Birnin Gwari and Igabi (in Kaduna) are now safer. I drove from Kaduna to Abuja without incident, a journey that was once unthinkable,” he added.
