Northern elites won’t campaign openly for Tinubu, Adamawa Commissioner claims

Michael Olumide Alabi

Adamawa State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Leader Leneke, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against placing absolute trust in Northern political elites and elders, saying their interests may not always align with those of ordinary Nigerians in the region.

Leneke urged the President to establish a direct channel of communication with people in the North and regularly present the achievements of his administration to the people, rather than relying primarily on influential political figures and traditional voices.

“My warning would be, Mr. President, don’t trust these Northern elites and elders. Speak directly to the people. Show the people your scorecard. Show the people in the North what you have done,” he said.

The commissioner made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.

According to Leneke, the Tinubu administration has recorded significant interventions in areas such as security and infrastructure, but he argued that many of the achievements had not received adequate public attention.

“To be very honest with you, I think there is more this administration has done and achieved that has not been said. There is so much that can be sung, the success story of this administration in the last three years, that can be said but has not been said,” he stated.

He called for what he described as an institutionalised process through which Nigerians, particularly those in the North, could be regularly informed about the policies, programmes and achievements of the Federal Government.

“Mr. President, you have to have an institutionalized process of how Nigerians, especially the North, need to know, need to be informed, need to be made aware of the achievements that have been carried out under your administration going forward.
“I think this will be your strategy going into 2027,” Leneke said.

The commissioner further argued that relying heavily on Northern political elites could create challenges for the President ahead of the 2027 elections.

He alleged that some influential Northern figures had failed to adequately represent the interests of their people and were reluctant to openly campaign for President Tinubu.

“If Mr. President depends on the Northern elite, let me tell you the truth: they have not done well for their people, and they are very afraid to go out in the open. They will not go out in the open to campaign for President Tinubu,” he said.

Leneke also raised concerns about the effectiveness of relying on political intermediaries to mobilise grassroots support, particularly where substantial resources were involved.

“If you trust them with massive resources, I think they will go out to campaign. They will only sit in the comfort of their mansions and talk to a few people they trust who will be able to go out and campaign for the president.
“And then they will give them little of what was given to them,” he alleged.

The commissioner, therefore, advised the President to strengthen direct engagement with citizens and ensure that the Federal Government’s achievements are communicated effectively to the grassroots, particularly in Northern Nigeria.