FG appointees challenge opposition to present alternatives, highlight Tinubu’s Northern projects
Kola Oyelere, Kano
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The Forum of Federal Government Appointees from Kano State has challenged opposition leaders to present clear policy alternatives instead of what it described as persistent criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Forum’s spokesperson, Dr. Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, said opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, should articulate their plans for Nigeria rather than focus on attacking the President.
According to him, the Tinubu administration is implementing infrastructure and development projects worth trillions of naira across Kano State and Northern Nigeria under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Kwankwaso, who is also the Executive Director of Finance at the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, said more than 30 federal projects are currently being executed in Kano State.
He listed some of the projects to include the 132-kilometre Kano-Kongolom Road dualisation project valued at N334 billion, the ongoing reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the Kano Eastern Bypass, the Kano-Maradi Rail Line, and the 614-kilometre Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline.
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The spokesperson also highlighted the N47 billion Jakara-Gogau-Zungeru ecological drainage project, federal investments in dams and irrigation facilities, the revitalisation of primary healthcare centres, upgrades of federal teaching hospitals, and the recently launched Energize Commercialize Nigeria (ECoN) initiative in Kano.
He added that the establishment of the Northwest Development Commission and the development of its permanent headquarters in Kano further demonstrate the Federal Government’s commitment to the region.
Kwankwaso maintained that the projects are visible and ongoing, arguing that they reflect the President’s commitment to the development of Northern Nigeria.
He expressed confidence that the projects would translate into strong electoral support for President Tinubu during the 2027 general elections.
Commenting on reports of a possible political alliance involving Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso under the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), Kwankwaso dismissed the arrangement, describing it as lacking the political strength to win a presidential election.
He also alleged that the former Kano State governor was not fully committed to the proposed alliance and claimed that his political support was directed elsewhere.
The Forum further declared its intention to mobilise support for President Tinubu’s re-election as well as Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State.
According to the statement, the group also pledged support for the re-election of Senators Barau Jibrin, Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila and Ibrahim Shekarau, alongside candidates for the House of Representatives and the Kano State House of Assembly in the 2027 elections.
The Forum’s Chairman, Senator Bashir Garba Lado, who serves as Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, reaffirmed the group’s commitment to securing electoral victories for the President and other endorsed candidates.