Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Abubakar Bichi, has urged Northerners to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, saying power will return to the region after the president completes his constitutionally permitted second term.
Bichi said the North should allow the South to complete its eight-year tenure before power shifts back to the region.
The lawmaker, who represents Bichi Federal Constituency of Kano State, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse, Jigawa State, on Sunday.
He argued that the North had already enjoyed eight years in power under former President Muhammadu Buhari, while the South had so far served four years under Tinubu.
What is the magic? We have done our eight years under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari. Now they have done their four years; let them finish so that we can move on.
“Let President Tinubu finish his second term, then power will come back to the North as well. President Tinubu loves the North, and he has done well for the region,” he said.
Bichi also dismissed claims that Tinubu had neglected Northern Nigeria, insisting that the region had benefited significantly from the administration’s policies, infrastructure projects and other interventions.
He described the growing support for Tinubu’s re-election in the North as impressive, saying the turnout at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rallies reflected the people’s satisfaction with the administration.
“Contrary to claims in some quarters that Tinubu does not care about the North, the president has demonstrated commitment to the development of the region through major infrastructure and other intervention projects.
“The turnout of people from the North is impressive, and it is a clear testimony that the people are happy with what Tinubu has done so far.
“President Bola Tinubu has performed credibly in the North, and there is no state that has been left out,” he said.
Citing Jigawa as an example, the lawmaker said Tinubu had approved about N80bn for the Greater Dutse Water Project to address one of the state’s major developmental challenges.
He also highlighted ongoing and completed road projects in the state, particularly the Kano-Hadejia road, which he said spans approximately 200 kilometres.
According to him, the Kano-Danja section has been completed, while work on the Danja-Hadejia stretch has reached about 80 per cent completion.
Bichi further said several irrigation projects had been completed in Jigawa, describing the interventions as evidence of the Federal Government’s commitment to infrastructure development and agriculture in the region.
“As Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, I know what President Tinubu has done in many parts of the North, and it is fantastic,” he said.
He listed Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara among the states that had benefited from the president’s development initiatives.
The lawmaker expressed confidence that the people of Kano would appreciate Tinubu’s contributions, promising to provide further details of projects executed in the state.
He urged Northerners to reciprocate what he described as the president’s commitment to the region by supporting his administration and recognising its achievements.
“It is time for the people of the North to pay back what President Tinubu has done for us,” he said.
Bichi maintained that Tinubu’s performance should be assessed beyond political affiliations, urging residents of the region to support the president in completing his tenure.
