01/08/2025
In The Interest of Nigeria's Unity and Stability, Arewa Should Allow President Tinubu Complete His Two Four Year Terms
Mutanen Arewa, know how much I love you. God used you to make my late father and I. Today, as a friend of Arewa, I urge you to note that Nigeria is a fragile nation. Therefore, think twice before you sacrifice this country's unity for a few politicians' personal ambitions.
Ganging up and denying President Goodluck Jonathan a second term rocked the foundations of our unity in 2015, and we barely survived it. It led to a resurgence of militancy and oil theft in the Niger Delta, which cut our oil production by 50%.
That led to two recessions under General Buhari, and Nigeria became the world headquarters for extreme poverty in 2018 and the global capital for out-of-school children in 2016.
Let us learn from history and not repeat it.
We are gradually seeing a turnaround in our country. President Tinubu has reduced our debt from $113.7 billion, which he inherited, to $97 billion today. Federal allocation to the states has doubled from what they were under Buhari.
The Student Loan initiative has reduced the out-of-school children phenomenon, and we are daily regaled with students all over Northern Nigeria jubilating over their school fees and upkeep being paid.
Meanwhile, our economy is growing at 3.4%.
In security, Northern Nigeria is safer than it was two years ago, even as massive infrastructural projects are ongoing in Arewa, including the 1068 kilometres Sokoto Illela Badagry Superhighway, being constructed for ₦13 trillion, and the 468-kilometre Trans-Saharan Highway being built at a cost of $900 million.
Right from Independence, the South has never prevented a democratically elected Northern President from completing his two terms. A precedent was set against President Jonathan. We should not establish a pattern with President Tinubu.
Already, the Southeast has been agitating for secession. Steps should not be taken to create another such tendency in a different Southern geopolitical zone.
I call on the leaders, elders and statesmen of Arewa to learn from what happened to India, the USSR, Yugoslavia, and Sudan. Let us learn from history and not repeat it, then claim that history repeated itself.
If not for anything, at least for the loyalty that President Tinubu showed to General Buhari in life and death, Arewa should extend the right hand of fellowship to him.
Four years is not forever. Let the South complete its two four-year terms for the sake of Nigeria's unity and stability, and then power will return to the North.
Thank you, and may God bless Nigeria.
Reno Omokri
Gospeller. Deep Thinker. . Ruffler of the Feathers of Obidents. #1 Bestselling author of Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years. Hodophile. Hollywood Magazine Humanitarian of the Year, 2019. Business Insider Influencer of the Year 2022. 21st Most Talked About Person in Africa, 2024.
