“Denying Tinubu Second Term Could Trigger Political Crisis, Nobody Will Allow Northerner Two Terms Again” — Ex-NAHCON Chairman

The immediate past Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Sheikh Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, has said denying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a second term could trigger a political crisis in the country.

Pakistan stated this while addressing youth groups at his residence in Kano on Tuesday.

He said Tinubu should be allowed to complete a second term to maintain smooth power rotation between the North and South, just as former President Muhammadu Buhari was allowed to serve two terms.

The former NAHCON chairman cited improved security along the Abuja-Kaduna highway and a drop in food prices as some of the gains of the All Progressives Congress, APC-led administration.

He argued that the Tinubu administration inherited two major security challenges: Boko Haram insurgency, which began before Buhari’s presidency, and banditry, which he said emerged under the former president.

“If you look at insecurity used by some politicians to campaign, up to the time Buhari became president there was no kidnapping. There were no kidnapping cases in Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto and Kebbi states. Kidnapping started under Buhari. Of course, Buhari inherited Boko Haram insurgency, but banditry started under him. This means that Tinubu inherited two major security challenges: kidnapping and Boko Haram insurgency,” Pakistan said.

He added that tribal politics will not augur well for the country, warning against opposing Tinubu’s re-election because of the region he comes from.

“We have to be fair to Tinubu. The type of politics we are playing where we reject somebody because of the region he came from is dangerous. If we sustain this, we will suffer in the future. The way Tinubu supported late Muhammadu Buhari and insisted that he completed his two terms, even though he was ill and now some people are working hard to deny Tinubu a second term, we will fling the country into a political crisis in the future. Nobody will allow any northerner to take two terms,” he said.

“Up to the time Buhari finished his second term in office, a journey from Abuja to Kaduna was suicidal. You only heaved a sigh of relief when you arrived in Kaduna. But now you can leave Abuja at 12am and arrive at Kaduna safely. It means there is an improvement. There were times when the Abuja-Kaduna train was attacked. It was almost grounded by kidnappers. People were afraid to board the train. Now, it is safe,” Pakistan added.

Pakistan also said prices of foodstuffs have significantly dropped under Tinubu.

“Under Buhari, a bag of rice sold for N120,000, but today it is N57,500. It is less than half the amount under Tinubu. As a farmer, under Buhari I sold a bag of millet for N85,000. But today it is sold for about N30,000,” he said.