Senator Kabiru Marafa, former Coordinator of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s campaign in Zamfara State during the 2023 elections, has warned risks losing the bulk of northern votes in 2027 if the present realities remain unchanged.

Marafa, who recently resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) citing neglect by both Tinubu and the party, said the president’s relationship with the North has deteriorated since assuming office, with worsening insecurity, uncompleted infrastructure, and the sidelining of outspoken leaders fuelling discontent in the region.

In this interview with Daily Trust, Marafa, once regarded as one of Tinubu’s strongest allies in the North-West, argued that the ruling APC risks alienating its northern base by failing to address what he described as deliberate neglect of the region.

“In two years, I can’t point to any major project delivered for the North. Take our critical Abuja–Kano road, for example, it’s still unfinished. But look at how much has been spent in Lagos alone,” Marafa said.

But the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, at the weekend told Daily Trust that the spread of infrastructure projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda has been equitable across the six geopolitical zones. He also rejected allegations of nepotism in federal appointments, insisting that the president has maintained a pan-Nigerian outlook in both policy and governance.

But the former senator noted that Tinubu’s government appears uncomfortable with independent-minded northerners in positions of influence.

“Then see the kind of representation we have: anyone seen as independent-minded or outspoken is sidelined and kept in the cooler. Nothing happens. So if the North says it is being marginalised, I share that sentiment fully,” he added.

Marafa also likened his situation to that of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, both of whom, he claimed, were “placed in the cooler” despite their loyalty during the election. He maintained that while Tinubu was not nepotistic as an individual, his government had not shown fairness to the North in its distribution of opportunities and projects.

Full Interview below:

Do you see Tinubu winning the North in 2027?

That’s a hypothetical question. No politician prays for failure. But with the position I’ve taken, I cannot honestly say he will win the North. Because where I move next, I’ll want that platform to win.

Some critics say the North has been too critical of the president, even impatient. Others argue that these complaints are less about governance and more about losing political privileges. How do you respond?

Let me tell you, there is genuine apprehension in the North—and it is not imagined. If you look at the president’s appointments and allocation of funds, the North has every right to cry out. It is an honest cry.

In two years, I can’t point to any major project delivered for the North. Take our critical Abuja–Kano road, for example, it’s still unfinished. But look at how much has been spent in Lagos alone.

Then see the kind of representation we have: anyone seen as independent-minded or outspoken is sidelined and kept in the cooler. Nothing happens. So, if the North says it is being marginalised, I share that sentiment fully.

But people will say the only minister from your state is in charge of the Ministry of Defence. How do you reconcile this with your allegation of worsening insecurity?

That is exactly what we are talking about.

Do you see this as deliberate neglect?

Well, call it whatever you want, but the truth is, nothing was done.

The only thing we kept hearing from the APC was: “The governor didn’t do this, the governor didn’t do that,” and then they started calling for a state of emergency. And I asked, why? For what reason? Why should you call for a state of emergency?

What can the governor really do? Is he the commander-in-chief? No. The most a governor can do is support the troops sent by the federal government, maybe give them allowances, provide logistics, that’s all. The real responsibility lies with the federal government.

You mentioned security forces being deployed during the election. Can you explain what happened?

Boys loyal to the Minister of Defence, were posting online that the troops he would deploy to Zamfara were people who didn’t even understand Hausa. People you couldn’t even plead with for help. Some had never set foot in Zamfara.

And true to their word, on election day, those were the troops we saw. Everyone noticed it.

Then the election was declared inconclusive, only five polling units were left out. But during the rerun, the federal government deployed an Assistant Inspector General of Police, two commissioners of police from outside, plus the existing state commissioner. Don’t even talk of DPOs, ACs, and other commanders, they flooded the area, just for five polling units.

Now, when people were being killed daily, they didn’t deploy this kind of force. But for votes, just to ensure APC was declared winner, they sent overwhelming security. That was the final straw. Immediately after, we held a meeting and asked ourselves: what are we still doing in this party? We were told the party belonged to just two people. We had been hoping they would act on insecurity, but it became clear they didn’t care. That was when we said: APC, bye bye, carry your thing and go.

Why did it take you this long to speak out? The next election is just 18 months away.

Fairness. That’s who I am. I believe people deserve time before being judged. When this government came in, I felt they needed at least two years to settle.

From the start, my relationship with the President was straightforward. He called me, and I always spoke my mind—even when it contradicted his views. He respected that. When he was president-elect, I asked about his plan for Senate politics, gave my candid opinion, and he agreed. He even sent me to deliver messages to Akpabio and Barau.

After he was sworn in, I saw him three times. On one occasion, he said the DG NEMA appointment was done in error and offered me the position instead. But I declined because the woman appointed is like my sister; her mother is from Zamfara. I told him it would be unfair to remove her, and besides, I was aiming for something bigger. He laughed, and we left it there.

So, it’s not that he didn’t offer me anything. But what hurts me is that not a single person from my camp, people who worked, campaigned, risked their lives, was considered for even a board or agency appointment. That is what I cannot defend before my people.

In your statement and subsequent interview, you accused the President of using and dumping you. Was there a specific promise made to secure your support for the 2023 election?

I don’t think there had to be any promise, written or unwritten. Even life itself, which God gave us free of charge; sight, health, everything, still comes with a promise of heaven if we obey Him. That is life.

Why am I in politics? To secure a position of authority that allows me to impact my people and Nigerians generally. Otherwise, I wouldn’t risk my life in a state overrun by banditry. I went everywhere in Zamfara, meeting everyone that mattered, carrying the President’s message.

Take President Tinubu himself. When he sensed the Buhari regime was against his ambition, he went to Ogun and declared Emilokan—“it’s my turn.” Was it because he lacked wealth? No. He wanted the authority to make impact. Look at Lagos: even your own paper’s reports say he spent over N3 trillion on that state alone. Could he have done that without power? Never.

Now, as President, see how positions have gone to his Southwest brothers, almost the whole financial sector, multiple ministerial slots, countless agencies. Meanwhile, Zamfara has only two agencies. That is the imbalance we are talking about.

Some people say this is personal. Others compare your case to Nasir El-Rufai’s fallout with the President. Do you see a pattern here?

Let me be clear: we never used the phrase “use and dump” in our forum. That came from the press, but I can’t deny that the description fits.

Look at Ganduje. He threw himself into the campaign, was rewarded with national chairman, and then dropped unceremoniously. Look at El-Rufai. If you ask me, he contributed more than 50% to Tinubu’s emergence as candidate. He defied Buhari’s cashless policy, risking arrest, and stood firm for the North’s commitment to Tinubu. The President even made him pledge in public not to abandon him. Yet in the Senate, El-Rufai was humiliated.

So yes, there seems to be a pattern: those who gave the most are left behind.

You and El-Rufai are both outspoken. Do you think that played a role?

Maybe. I don’t know. I’m not the type to hide my feelings. If I don’t like something, you’ll know. Once, in his office, I spoke bluntly and he told me, “Marafa, this is not Lagos House.” I replied, “Yes, sir, this is the Office of the President and Commander-in-Chief.” Then I withdrew my comment, we laughed, shook hands, and took pictures.

The President himself is outspoken. He respects frank talk. But from the trend, it seems independent-minded people, those who speak their minds, are not being accommodated. That’s my observation.

Could factionalism in Zamfara APC be why you’ve been sidelined? Some say it’s more about personal egos.

It’s not about ego. It’s about fairness and my personality. I’ve never lacked in life, whether in business, NNPC, or politics. I’m comfortable. But I joined politics to uplift my people, not myself.

Just like Tinubu, who was already wealthy before politics but still sought power to make impact, I want authority to change lives in Zamfara. That’s why this exclusion hurts, not for me, but for the people who believed and sacrificed.

And that is why, after giving them enough time, we said the last straw that broke the camel’s back was the by-election. Security in our state was one of the key issues we had presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and it remained a matter of great concern to all of us.

In the same constituency where the election took place, just three or four weeks earlier, there was a brutal attack unlike anything we had ever seen in Zamfara State. About 38 people were kidnapped by bandits, taken deep into the bush, and handed knives with the instruction to slaughter one another.

It was horrific. One victim was forced to kill another, and the next was ordered to kill the one who had just killed, and so on. By the end of it, 34 people were slaughtered in that gruesome chain. The remaining four refused to take part, insisting they could not do it. They were executed on the spot.

My brother, no delegation came from the federal government to console the people of Zamfara. No assistance of any kind was provided. Nothing at all.

Even now, no troops have been stationed, deployed, or posted there to give the people any sense of security or even recognition as citizens with leaders who care for them. Like I have always said, every Nigerian you see has seven representatives, yet in this case, none showed up.

But the government insists the president is not nepotistic, that he has been fair to all parts of the country. From the Tinubu you know and campaigned for, is nepotism part of his character?

I’ve said before, people judge others from their own standpoint. For me, I don’t hide my feelings. From my eight years of friendship and political work with Tinubu, I never saw him as a nepotistic person. I supported him for three reasons. First, his Muslim-Muslim ticket, his courage to discard hypocrisy and be pragmatic. That alone carried over 50% of my support.

Second, my personal knowledge of him. I believed that if he got, I’d also get, and if I got, my people would get. That was another big part of my support. The rest was based on his Lagos record, the way he governed and delivered development. Just like if Malam Nasir El-Rufai contested today, I’d support him because I’ve seen what he did in BPE, in FCT, and in Kaduna.

Looking back now, do you still believe Tinubu was the best candidate for Nigeria in 2023? Any regrets?

Regret? No. Based on the reasons I supported him, I don’t regret. The Muslim-Muslim ticket alone justified my choice. My personal knowledge of him is where the disappointment comes because I thought when he got, I would get. Instead, when he got, I lost. That’s the bitter truth.

Strictly on governance, are you satisfied with his performance?

Honestly, I am not. His appointments and allocation of resources have not been fair.

What about his key policies; subsidy removal and naira devaluation?

I supported subsidy removal because I know that sector very well. I was in NNPC. In the Senate, I chaired petroleum committees. I know the scam in subsidy payments, it was a racket. So yes, subsidy had to go. But where I disagree is in how the savings are being allocated. That’s where I’m not happy.

At what point did you lose direct access to the president?

I won’t say “blocked,” but things changed. Under Buhari, I had unfettered access. Tinubu himself ordered that my access card be renewed. It never happened. Later, he even told one of his senior aides to always allow me in. It worked once. Afterwards, my calls and messages went unanswered. And I’m not the kind of man to keep lowering myself.

Do you think you were played?

Whatever they did, I’m comfortable with it. I can live without anybody.

So where are you moving to?

Only God knows for now. I’ve been in the trenches too long, and I’m tired of endless fights. I want a platform that knows my value and understands power is for service. If you look at ADC today, APC agents are already infiltrating it, funding stooges to cause trouble. So, I cannot just jump. We are resting, reflecting, and consulting. When we move, it will be with clarity and agreements.

In 2027, will you contest again for the Senate or aim for Zamfara’s governorship?

I don’t repeat classes. As senator, I served my people well. Looking at the way the current Senate operates, I thank God I didn’t return, because if anyone told me my people were being slaughtered and I couldn’t raise it on the floor, they’d have to drag me out of that chamber. I’ve already mentored people for the legislature. For me now, it’s either governorship or the Villa. If I have the right backers today, I won’t even stop at Zamfara governorship, I’ll contest for president. (Daily Trust)