Afenifere Slams Kwankwaso’s Claims of Marginalization as Misleading and Divisive

July 26, 2025

By Ayinde Adeleke

The Pan-Yoruba sociocultural organization, Afenifere, has strongly criticized former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for his recent claims that national resources are being unfairly allocated in favor of the southern region.

Kwankwaso’s comments were made during a stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment in Kano, where he expressed concerns about the deepening poverty and insecurity in the North.

Afenifere, in a statement issued by its National Organising Secretary, Otunba Kole Omololu, described Kwankwaso’s statement as “not only grossly misleading but also deliberately incendiary.”

The organization noted that development is a gradual process and that President Tinubu has not yet reached the halfway mark of his term.

“Kwankwaso’s alarmist rhetoric is not only unfair but also deeply dangerous,” Afenifere said.

“As a former governor and minister, one would expect Senator Kwankwaso to speak with facts, not emotions laced with sectional bias.”

Afenifere pointed out that the North has benefited significantly from federal presence in the past decade, citing the concentration of national resources and infrastructure projects during the Buhari administration.

“No region in Nigeria has benefited more from concentrated federal presence in the past decade than the North,” the organization stated.

The group also highlighted several infrastructure projects initiated and awarded across the North under President Tinubu’s administration, including the dualization of the Kano-Maiduguri Road and the Abuja-Keffi-Lafia corridor.

“Less than two years into President Tinubu’s administration, Kwankwaso is crying foul,” Afenifere said.

Afenifere urged Kwankwaso to rise above ethnic saboteurs and sectional agitators, saying, “Let statesmen, not ethnic lords, shape the conversation.” The organization emphasized that critical road projects and infrastructure development are underway across the North, which will have a positive impact on the region by 2027 and beyond.

“Security is no longer just about guns and boots. It’s about sustainable development, responsive governance, and empowered communities,” was not part of this text so could not be included in the quote section but development and infrastructure were discussed as part of solution.