Nigerian political analyst and business leader, Unekwu Ocheje, has criticized what he described as a pattern of political betrayal from Northern Nigeria, accusing key power brokers of attempting to derail the gentleman’s agreement that brought President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to power.
In a strongly-worded statement released Monday, Ocheje challenged the widespread narrative that the North is more committed to honoring political agreements, asserting instead that the South West has consistently shown greater fidelity to such deals.
“The erroneous assumption that the northern part of Nigeria keeps to promises and agreements is not true. If there is any region that keeps to political agreements, it is the South Western people of Nigeria,” Ocheje stated. “They stood by the North, rallied for Buhari, and remained loyal to the arrangement even when that government fell short.”
Signs of Betrayal Before the Primary
According to Ocheje, signs that the North was preparing to backtrack on the power-sharing arrangement emerged even before the APC presidential primaries.
“Even before the primary, the handwriting was clear that the North was not ready to keep to their part of the agreement. They floated the idea of a Northern consensus candidate by naming the then Senate President, Ahmad Lawan,” he said.
He explained that when that attempt failed, another covert strategy emerged.
“When President Tinubu was able to subdue that plan, they came up with the idea to support then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as a ‘neutral’ option in the primary election. That also failed.”
In a final move to prevent Tinubu’s emergence, Ocheje alleged that some Northern elements backed the controversial Naira redesign policy as a tactic to weaken Tinubu’s financial strength ahead of the general election.
“They resorted to the Naira redesign to mop up cash from circulation, suspecting Tinubu might use money to buy his way. But even with the hardship it caused Nigerians, Asiwaju still emerged victorious. That shows resilience and the will of the people.”
Ocheje expressed disappointment that despite Tinubu’s emergence and his administration’s ongoing reform agenda, some Northern political voices are now opposing the government that they previously helped shape.
“A South Westerner has emerged through the same political understanding, and yet, some in the North are already fighting the government—despite the obvious transformation and reforms taking place.”
Tinubu Administration: Reform, Recovery, and Relief
Since assuming office in May 2023, President Tinubu has embarked on bold economic and structural reforms aimed at repositioning Nigeria for long-term growth. Key highlights of his administration include:
Fuel Subsidy Removal – freeing up billions of naira previously lost to corruption and inefficiencies.
Unification of Exchange Rates – stabilizing Nigeria’s foreign investment environment.
Student Loan Act – enabling access to tertiary education for underprivileged youth.
Revival of Rail Infrastructure – especially the Abuja Metro now in near-full operation.
FCT Transformation – massive infrastructural development under Minister Nyesom Wike, including roads, city beautification, and satellite town upgrades.
Despite the economic pains triggered by these reforms, Ocheje noted that the government has acknowledged the hardship and initiated several cushioning measures:
Distribution of palliatives nationwide.
Deployment of electric buses for public transport.
Planned minimum wage increase.
Grants and soft loans to small businesses and startups.
“This is a government that is facing Nigeria’s problems head-on. It has acknowledged the pain, but it’s not running away from fixing what needs to be fixed,” Ocheje emphasized.
He called for unity and support from all regions of the country to allow the reforms to take root and produce results.
“We can’t abandon the same process that brought Buhari to power just because a Southern leader is now at the helm. Anything short of support is sabotage, and Nigeria must not be held hostage by ethnic or political bitterness,” he concluded.
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