Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, has leveled serious accusations against President Bola Tinubu, claiming he is committing political suicide by alienating the Northern region. In a recent interview with Punch, Yusuf pointed out that despite the North’s significant contribution to Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 election, with 62% of his votes coming from the region, the President has been favoring the South-West in key appointments.

He said, “He is from Lagos; he ruled there, and he is still ruling them. Nobody becomes governor of Lagos until they get his stamp of approval. This doesn’t happen in any part of this country, yet he lost Lagos. So, you guys knew something that we did not know.

“The North gave him 62 per cent of his votes, predominantly from the North-West. The South-West did not vote for him. It’s the North that brought President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to government. But what has he been doing? He’s been alienating the North.

“Over 70 per cent of his appointments are from the South-West. His kinsmen are from Lagos. What have they done to deserve that electorally? So, it’s political suicide for any politician to alienate his electoral base and expect us to vote for him again. He should come and tell us why he’s taken everything to the South-West, to Lagos.

“We (North) have no reason to vote for him again. We voted for him when his people did not. Katsina, where I come from, gave him more votes than his state of Lagos. So, his people did not vote for him. We sheltered him politically, and now he alienates us and wants to come back again.

“It’s political suicide that he’s committing, and he’s doing that knowingly because he doesn’t know politics. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s politics is South-West-based. He doesn’t know Nigerian politics at all, and that’s why he’s committing this political blunder all over the place.”

Key Points of Contention
– Voting Pattern: The North gave Tinubu a substantial 62% of his votes, predominantly from the North-West region, while the South-West, Tinubu’s home region, did not vote for him in large numbers.
– Appointments: Over 70% of Tinubu’s appointments are from the South-West, sparking questions about the electoral contribution of this region to his victory.
– Political Implications: Yusuf believes this trend amounts to political suicide, warning that Northerners have no reason to vote for Tinubu again if he continues to alienate them.

Yusuf’s Criticism of Tinubu’s Leadership
Beyond the issue of regional alienation, Yusuf has also criticized Tinubu’s leadership style, accusing him of attempting to silence dissenting voices through intimidation and unlawful detention. This criticism comes on the heels of Yusuf’s own experience with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which he claims was a politically motivated attempt to suppress his criticism of the government.

Broader Implications
Yusuf’s accusations against Tinubu have sparked a wider debate about the President’s approach to governance and his relationship with different regions of Nigeria. Other prominent figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have also spoken out against the Tinubu administration’s alleged suppression of opposition voices.