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The Adamawa State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Leader Leneke, has warned President Bola Tinubu against placing absolute trust in Northern elites and elders, saying their political interests may not always align with the interests of the region or the administration.
He said the President should be cautious in relying on Northern political elites and elders, stressing that political actors who claim to speak for the North may have interests that differ from those of ordinary Nigerians in the region.
“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.”
The commissioner gave the warning on Tuesday while speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme, on Eagle 102.5 fm, Ilese Ijebu
He argued that the administration had made significant interventions in security and infrastructure but said these efforts were not receiving sufficient attention in public discourse.
“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.
However, the commissioner’s warning to the President suggests that, beyond security and infrastructure, the administration may also need to reconsider how it manages its relationship with influential political figures and traditional voices in the North.
“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 relying heavily on Northern elites could work against President Bola Tinubu’s political interests, accusing the influential figures of failing their people and lacking the courage to openly campaign for the President.
“If Mr President depend 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.”
The commissioner argued that even where such elites receive substantial resources, they may not deploy them effectively for the President’s political advantage, alleging that they could retain most of the resources while passing only a fraction to those expected to campaign.
“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.”
