North West Youth Network Lauds Tinubu Over Yazeed Danfulani’s Appointment, Begins Mobilisation for 20 Million Votes in 2027

 

 

The North West Youth Network has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Yazeed Shehu Danfulani as the new Managing Director of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), describing the move as a clear reward for competence and a boost for youth inclusion in governance.

 

 

 

In a statement on Sunday, the group said Danfulani’s appointment had restored the confidence of young professionals across the North West in President Tinubu’s readiness to identify and empower credible technocrats regardless of age or political weight.

 

“We applaud President Tinubu for this well-considered appointment. Yazeed Danfulani is a tested, trusted, and transformative leader. His emergence is a strong signal that this administration is serious about driving economic growth through capable hands,” said Bashir Kawu, National Coordinator of the North West Youth Network.

 

Danfulani, a respected agribusiness expert and public finance professional, has since resumed duties as Managing Director of NAIC — the federal agency responsible for agricultural insurance and risk mitigation for farmers nationwide.

 

Kawu said the appointment will revitalise NAIC and refocus its operations on practical support for farmers, particularly those in underserved rural communities.

 

He described the president’s decision to entrust Danfulani with a critical role in the agricultural sector as “a masterstroke,” particularly at a time when the government is pushing for food security and economic stability.

 

“For too long, young farmers in the North West have been left out of key agricultural interventions. With Danfulani in charge of NAIC, we expect to see a shift — one that gives rural farmers real protection and opportunities to scale,” he said.

 

In what it described as a “vote of confidence” in President Tinubu’s leadership style, the group also pledged to mobilise massive grassroots support for the president ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

“We are not just showing appreciation — we are already on the move. Our mobilisation campaign has begun across the seven North West states. Our goal is clear: to deliver no fewer than 10 million votes for President Tinubu in 2027,” Kanu declared.

 

According to him, structures are being set up in local governments and wards across the region to coordinate outreach, register first-time voters, and build a broad coalition of youth voices in support of the administration.

 

“This is about numbers and vision. With the right leadership, our region can become the agricultural powerhouse of Nigeria — and we believe President Tinubu sees that. Our support for him in 2027 will be massive and well-organised,” Kawu said.

 

Yusuf said the mobilisation campaign was already gaining momentum, with sensitisation drives, door-to-door engagements, and townhall meetings being held across rural communities.

 

“We are going beyond social media. We’re speaking directly to the farmers, the traders, the students — people who need to see that this administration is working. And we are showing them through the likes of Danfulani,” he said.

 

The network urged Danfulani to justify the confidence reposed in him by ensuring NAIC reaches the grassroots and directly supports smallholder farmers, especially women and youth-led cooperatives.

 

“This is not the time for bureaucracy. We need action. We expect to see inclusive agricultural insurance that covers dry season farmers, livestock owners, and agritech startups. Let NAIC become a household name, not just an agency with an office in Abuja,” he stressed.

 

The group also appealed to other federal agencies to emulate the NAIC appointment by prioritising merit, professionalism, and regional balance in leadership selection.

 

“We are watching. Young people across this country are watching. Every appointment speaks. The message from Danfulani’s appointment is that President Tinubu listens. And we are ready to respond with loyalty and results,” Kanu added.

 

He concluded by reaffirming the North West Youth Network’s commitment to working with stakeholders, traditional institutions, and community leaders to ensure that youth voices remain visible and influential in national discourse.

 

“Our vote pledge is not a slogan. We will deliver the votes, because we believe in what this administration is building. And we will not stop until the North West is fully counted in the future of Nigeria,” the statement added.

Betrayal of the Brave: How Atiku and the Opposition Squandered Nigeria’s Best Hope

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Sahara Weekly Nigeria

In the political theatre of Nigeria, money often dictates the tempo. It has become a nation where competence is sidelined, loyalty is mocked and those without deep pockets those who cannot be labelled ‘money bags’ are cast aside like political orphans. Nowhere has this arrogance of wealth-based politics been more evident than in the disastrous handling of the 2023 elections by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under Atiku Abubakar’s leadership.

I have always believed that in a truly democratic society, those who stand on principle, not profit, deserve a seat at the table. But in Atiku’s PDP, merit was crushed under the weight of ambition, internal betrayal and unchecked ego. The party, once seen as the custodian of national unity, threw away its best chance to reclaim relevance when it arrogantly turned its back on the G-5 Governors, the last vestige of integrity and strategic strength within its rank.

Today, Nigeria is stuck with a recycled presidency, while the opposition is licking self-inflicted wounds. And it didn’t have to be this way.

The Tragedy of Political Myopia
Let’s not mince words: PDP and Labour Party lost the 2023 presidential election long before ballots were cast. They lost it the moment they sacrificed political wisdom for narrow ambition. The G-5 Governors; Nyesom Wike, Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Seyi Makinde stood as a formidable block that could have altered Nigeria’s electoral map. These were not disgruntled men; they were governors with proven electoral machinery, influence and regional balance.

But Atiku Abubakar, obsessed with returning to power after four failed attempts, saw them not as allies, but as obstacles to his ambition. He refused to meet their single, reasonable demand: that the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, step down in line with the party’s zoning principle. With the party’s presidential candidate and chairman both from the North, the South was justifiably outraged. The G-5 called for balance and equity. Atiku responded with indifference.

As Wike thundered in 2022: “You cannot have the presidential candidate and national chairman from the same region. Where is the justice? Where is the fairness? This party belongs to all of us.”

His concerns were ignored. The consequences were devastating.

A Fragmented Front, A Failed Mission
In the 2023 election, PDP failed to win any of the G-5-controlled states convincingly. In fact, many of them went to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or saw strong showings by the Labour Party. Rivers, a traditional PDP stronghold, swung in favour of Bola Tinubu after Wike’s subtle endorsement. Makinde, in Oyo, resisted the Atiku tide. Benue, Enugu and Abia offered lukewarm support at best.

Atiku, who paraded himself as a national unifier, ironically presided over the most divided opposition coalition in recent Nigerian history. His insistence on centralizing power, his refusal to negotiate with his party’s powerbrokers and his dismissive attitude towards the Southern bloc ensured one thing: defeat.

And it wasn’t just PDP that failed.

Labour Party’s Strategic Blindness
While the PDP was burning bridges, the Labour Party missed an opportunity to build them. Peter Obi inspired a movement, yes but his campaign failed to embrace realpolitik. He could have engaged the G-5 Governors, formed strategic alliances and turned their PDP discontent into a national coalition for change. Instead, the LP ran a messianic, solo campaign that underestimated the importance of political structure.

Political commentator Jide Ojo noted in The Guardian: “Obi had the moral momentum, but he lacked institutional support. In Nigeria, no amount of popularity can replace structure, alliances and statewide networks.”

The LP dismissed the old order but forgot that winning elections in Nigeria still depends on who controls polling units, local governments and election-day logistics. The G-5 had that power. But no meaningful bridge was built.

A Nation Betrayed by Its Leaders
The bigger tragedy is that Nigeria is now saddled with an administration it barely voted for. Bola Tinubu won with just 36.6% of the total vote, the lowest in Nigeria’s history. That means nearly two-thirds of voters rejected him. But because the opposition was fractured, the majority voice was wasted.

This was not a triumph of strategy; it was a triumph of opposition failure.

The PDP could have formed a united front, with a Southern candidate and a Northern vice-presidential balance. The LP could have merged platforms, given Obi the grassroots engine he desperately needed. The G-5 could have anchored both with credibility and regional leverage. But ego, not patriotism, led the charge.

Atiku, who sees himself as Nigeria’s Mandela, betrayed the very principles that Mandela lived by; humility, reconciliation and inclusion. Mandela once said: “Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.” Atiku, unfortunately, was not ready to sacrifice anything not even an ill-advised power configuration for party unity or national interest.

Political Godfatherism and the Marginalization of Merit
It is an open secret that Nigeria’s political class thrives on godfatherism. Merit, vision and sincerity are often sacrificed at the altar of loyalty and money. Those who cannot “mobilize funds” are sidelined. Those who speak truth are branded rebels. The G-5 Governors, particularly Wike and Ortom, were victims of this toxic system.

Ortom, who repeatedly called out Buhari’s handling of Fulani herdsmen attacks, was labeled controversial. Wike, who financed the party during its opposition years, was treated as expendable. These were not angels, but they were patriots in their own right, bold enough to speak and act when others trembled.

2027: Another Miscalculation?
As we look to 2027, the signs are already troubling. Atiku is reportedly interested in running again. If he is allowed to hijack the PDP once more, expect another round of defections, internal crises and disunity. The “money bags” may again dominate, while the voices of equity, inclusion and regional justice are suppressed.

If the opposition does not learn from 2023, it will lose again and this time, the consequences could be permanent.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama once warned: “You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. That’s insanity.”

If Atiku returns as PDP’s candidate, if the G-5 are not reintegrated, if LP fails to build real alliances, then Nigerians might as well prepare for an APC victory in 2027.

Final Thought: Restore the Soul of the Opposition
The future of democracy in Nigeria depends not just on removing bad governance, but on building a credible opposition. That opposition must include everyone; wealthy and poor, old and young, Northern and Southern leaders. The marginalization of those without deep pockets must end. The betrayal of loyal party members must stop. And the arrogance of Atiku-style imposition must be condemned.

PDP and Labour Party have lost their way, but all hope is not lost. Reconciliation is still possible. Unity is still achievable. But it will take courage, humility and a willingness to listen to those who stood firm when others fled.

Until then, the G-5 governors will remain a symbol not of rebellion, but of what Nigeria’s opposition could have been: principled, united and victorious.

BURATAI COMMENDS PRESIDENT TINUBU’S RADICAL POLICY APPROACH AT AMAEICHI’S 60TH BIRTHDAY LECTURE

 

 

 

His Excellency Ambassador Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai (Rtd), former Chief of Army Staff, delivered compelling remarks at the commemorative lecture marking the 60th birthday of Nigeria’s renowned politician and statesman, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, held in Abuja on 31 May 2025.

 

 

In his remarks, Buratai paid homage to the celebrant, acknowledging his longstanding relationship dating back to 2011 when Amaechi was governor of Rivers State. He described Amaechi as a leader deeply committed to security and political development, noting his performance at the APC 2022 presidential primaries and his promising political future.

 

 

 

“Rotimi Amaechi exemplifies a leader who prioritizes security, a trait crucial for Nigeria’s stability,” Buratai remarked. He praised the former governor’s proactive engagement in Nigeria’s political landscape, emphasizing his significant influence and leadership potential. Buratai also took the opportunity to commend President Bola Tinubu’s government for adopting a radical approach to resolving Nigeria’s economic problems through decisive policies, a move he described as a “necessary departure” from previous graduations approach to economic reforms by the previous administrations. He explained that while past administrations, from IBB’s structural adjustment programs to those of Shagari, Obasanjo, Jonathan, and Buhari, fuel subsidy regimes, they implemented economic reforms that gradually pauperized Nigerians. However, the current administration’s decisive and comprehensive economic policies represent a bold attempt to address deep-seated socio-economic issues confronting Nigeria over the years. Buratai said this bold measure has its advantages. Deep understanding is required to allow for the realization of its benefits.

 

 

 

“The radical measures are a decisive shift from the gradual suffering in the past,” Buratai stated. “It shows a willingness to confront the challenges head-on, even if the impact is profound and immediate.”

 

 

 

However, he acknowledged that the main challenge remains the perceived insensitivity of government policies to poverty and insecurity, which are real. He postulated that the second half of this administration may make a tangible difference.

 

 

 

Buratai’s speech underscored the importance of embracing reform with resilience and urged Nigerians to support Tinubu’s government’s efforts to restore security and economic prosperity. The event was attended by prominent political figures, security experts, and members of Nigeria’s elite, all paying tribute to Amaechi’s contributions to the nation’s development and leadership.