The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has said that President Tinubu deserves the opportunity to seek re-election, just like his predecessor, the late Muhammadu Buhari.
Onanuga urged Northern politicians to exercise patience and allow the South to complete its turn in power, noting that the South had equally waited through Buhari's eight-year tenure.
Speaking during an interview with Trust Radio on Wednesday, the presidential aide dismissed recent claims of marginalisation by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), describing them as a subtle attempt to discredit the Tinubu-led administration.
He argued that the criticisms aimed at President Tinubu are part of a calculated effort to weaken his government on the basis of his Southern origin.
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"This president is a Nigerian. He deserves the same two terms that Buhari had. Let's not sacrifice the country for personal ambition," he said.
Addressing allegations that appointments have disproportionately favoured the Southwest, Onanuga challenged critics to back their claims with verifiable data instead of relying on sweeping generalisations.
He also dismissed concerns over neglected infrastructure in the North, noting that the Tinubu administration inherited a backlog of incomplete and abandoned projects from previous governments.
Onanuga cited the appointment of Northerners to key security positions as evidence of balanced representation under President Tinubu's administration, also stating that the secuirty situation in the country has improved.
"You need to get your statistics right. It's all political mischief designed to undermine the President. There are bad roads across the country, not just in the North.
"The National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, and the two Defence Ministers are all Northerners. Places like Birnin Gwari and Igabi (in Kaduna) are now safer. I drove from Kaduna to Abuja without incident, a journey that was once unthinkable."
