by Akin Awofolaju, PhD
Mohammed Bello Doka’s article is less an objective analysis of Nigeria’s political future than a North-centric argument that frames national leadership as a regional entitlement. Its central flaw is the assumption that the North’s political support for President Tinubu in 2023 constitutes a debt the Southwest must repay through zoning, political loyalty, or the release of a particular politician.
Nigeria’s presidency is not a regional inheritance be it southwest, south east, northeast, North central or west. It should ve based on merit, enough of this archaic maldevelopmental approach to our future , we can’t continue seeing thing through myopic lenses, presidency shouldn’t be on a quota system or rotational, or be seen anyone political support as a perpetual debt. Malam El Rufai made a grave unintelligent mistake, going on public on national TV on record that he tapped National Security Officer’s phone. Thats a treason and felony offence, in any civilized country, who knows what other national intelligence information he might have recovered and get into wrong hands. This is Nigeria security we are talking about here. This is a huge misstep. No one should be above the law. El-Rufai’s legal predicament should be judged by evidence, due process, and the rule of law not weaponized to condemn an entire region or determine the country’s 2027 political choices.
Allegations of persecution must equally be substantiated rather than presented as established facts.
President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda should be evaluated on its policies, economic reforms, infrastructure development, fiscal restructuring, and capacity to build a more productive economy. While inflation, hardship, unemployment, and the cost of living remain serious challenges, the answer is to assess the reforms critically, demand measurable results, and consolidate genuine progress not abandon transformational change through ethnic resentment. That’s a cheap curve ball, it worked in the past but not anymore our youths have an open eyes be it from North or South. They have a shinning eyes.
Nigerian youths must dare to think beyond their tribes, stand firmly on the side of truth, and build a nation where merit triumphs over ethnicity, justice over prejudice, and humanity over bigotry.
The greatest legacy we can leave the next generation is not the preservation of inherited animosities, but the courage to transcend them and create a better Nigeria for all.
The article’s most troubling weakness is its tribalistic generalization: it treats the Southwest as a single political bloc, assumes collective guilt, and portrays the North as a betrayed constituency entitled to dictate the terms of future alliances. Neither region is politically monolithic, and no ethnic group owns the votes, sacrifices, or destiny of Nigeria.
Ultimately, Nigeria needs reciprocal political partnerships built on shared national interests, not regional blackmail. The 2027 election should be determined by competence, performance, accountability, and the people’s democratic choice not by who supposedly owes whom the presidency.
Renewed Hope must mean national renewal, not the renewal of ethnic suspicion. Nigeria belongs to all its citizens, and its future must be built on national interest above tribal loyalty.
