The Katsina Elders’ Forum has vehemently opposed the planned relocation of some critical projects, including the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport’s refurbished airport rescue and firefighting vehicles project to the southern part of the country.
The forum, expressing concern over the potential socio-economic impact on Northern Nigeria, cautioned Tinubu to reconsider the decision or face the risk of losing support in the 2027 elections.
Addressing the media in Katsina after a closed-door meeting, Aliyu Mohammed, the Secretary of the forum, disclosed that the contractor for the airport project had written to the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, seeking relocation for what they deemed as flimsy reasons.
Mohammed accused certain individuals of ill-advising President Tinubu, labeling them as enemies of Nigeria who aim to undermine the unity of the country by relocating critical departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to the South.
“Therefore, we are telling Mr. President, as long as he is interested in coming back in 2027, as long as he is interested in the votes of the Northerners, to reverse these unconstitutional decisions. Whoever is advising him to take such decisions is an enemy of the country.”
The forum also accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of aliging with the federal government’s plan to relocate critical projects.
Mohammed asserted, “The FCT Minister is inviting the Israelis to come and provide security to Abuja.”
Emphasizing the need for President Tinubu to prioritize addressing the security challenges in the North, the forum criticized his focus on relocating economic-boosting projects.
Mohammed urged Tinubu to reconsider his decisions, highlighting that the North was not prepared to support him in the 2027 elections if critical departments were moved to Lagos amidst the prevailing insecurity in the region.
