— Urges accountability, investment in education, security, agriculture
— Says Tinubu’s reforms require evidence-based assessment
By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
Convener of The Alternative Movement, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has urged political leaders in Northern Nigeria to prioritise the welfare of citizens over political interests, warning that weak accountability and misplaced regional loyalty could undermine the region’s future.
Showunmi, in an open letter titled “Will the North Miss History Again?”, called for a fundamental rethink of the region’s political priorities, insisting that education, security, healthcare, agricultural development and job creation must take precedence over the political survival of individual office holders.
He argued that regional pride should translate into measurable improvements in people’s living conditions, rather than become a basis for demanding unquestioning loyalty from citizens.
Addressing political leaders, traditional rulers, elders, intellectuals and young people, the former Ogun State governorship aspirant said the scale of challenges confronting Northern Nigeria required honest introspection, institutional responsibility and a willingness to question established political practices.
“I write because the condition of the North has become too consequential for Nigeria, too painful for its people, and too dangerous for any patriotic Nigerian to ignore,” he wrote.
Showunmi expressed concern over children without adequate access to education, farmers whose livelihoods were threatened by insecurity, families struggling to meet basic needs and young people vulnerable to recruitment into violence amid limited economic opportunities.
He said the challenges should not be reduced to statistics or development indices but understood as human experiences requiring urgent political action.
“Behind every statistic is a human being. Behind every percentage point is a life. Behind every development ranking is a child whose opportunities may have been narrowed before that child even understood what opportunity meant,” he stated.
The convener challenged Northerners to distinguish between loyalty to their region and unquestioning allegiance to political leaders, warning against the use of regional identity to silence criticism.
“Let nobody convince the ordinary people of Arewa that questioning a leader is equivalent to betraying the North,” he declared.
He maintained that political leaders should be judged by the extent to which their policies improved the lives of ordinary citizens, rather than the size of their followings, the offices they occupied or their ability to mobilise supporters.
According to him, the quality of schools, access to healthcare, security of communities, availability of jobs and opportunities for economic advancement are critical indicators of effective leadership.
“Leadership is not the ability to command a crowd. It is your responsibility to improve the circumstances of the people who gather before you,” he wrote.
Showunmi said political influence would mean little if communities remained insecure, public services inadequate and economic opportunities beyond the reach of millions.
While acknowledging the efforts of public servants, educators, entrepreneurs, community leaders and reformers working to improve lives across the region, he called for a broader assessment of whether political leadership had delivered results commensurate with the North’s needs and potential.
‘History must guide present leaders’
Reflecting on Nigeria’s political history, Showunmi invoked the legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, asking what the two prominent figures in Nigeria’s pre-independence and early post-independence history might say about the present condition of Northern Nigeria.
He cautioned against reducing their legacies to political slogans, nostalgic celebrations or instruments of partisan mobilisation, arguing that the focus should be on the institutions, policies and development outcomes associated with their leadership.
“To honour the past is to accept responsibility for the future,” he wrote.
He also referenced Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whose political vision emphasised education and social investment, and Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, whose 1993 presidential election mandate remains a defining episode in Nigeria’s democratic history.
According to Showunmi, their experiences offer lessons on development-oriented governance, national inclusion and the consequences of political rivalry.
“History must be more than nostalgia. It must become a standard against which the present generation is prepared to measure itself,” he stated.
Calls for investment in education, security
Showunmi identified insecurity, inadequate education, weak agricultural value chains and limited employment opportunities as major obstacles to Northern Nigeria’s development.
He advocated a region where children could access quality basic education, girls could pursue learning without unnecessary barriers, farmers could cultivate their land without fear and businesses could operate in a secure environment conducive to investment and growth.
He also called for increased investment in agricultural processing, improved infrastructure, access to finance and stronger institutions to help farmers move beyond primary production and capture greater value from their output.
The region’s economic future, he argued, depended on building productive systems rather than relying on recurring political promises.
Showunmi warned that persistent insecurity and inadequate educational opportunities could deprive the North of the human capital required to compete in emerging industries and other productive sectors.
“The North must be ready to compete, produce, innovate, and prosper,” he wrote.
He said responsibility for reversing the region’s development challenges rested with federal and state governments, traditional institutions, the private sector and citizens.
While governments must discharge their constitutional and policy responsibilities, he added, community institutions, businesses and individuals also had roles to play in sustaining development beyond electoral cycles.
Urges youths to monitor public spending
The convener urged young people across Northern Nigeria to take a more active role in public affairs, insisting that they deserved quality education, meaningful employment, safe communities and leadership that regarded their talents as resources to be developed rather than political instruments to be deployed during elections.
He encouraged them to examine government budgets, monitor public expenditure, compare campaign promises with actual performance and participate peacefully in civic and democratic processes.
“Respect your elders, but understand that respect does not require intellectual surrender,” he wrote.
He also cautioned against the use of religion, heritage and regional identity to discourage legitimate questions about governance.
“Value your faith, but do not permit anybody to use your devotion to shield public failure from scrutiny,” he stated.
Showunmi maintained that respect for cultural and religious traditions should coexist with the right to demand transparency, responsible leadership and effective public services.
Without sustained civic engagement, he warned, another generation of Northern Nigerians could inherit many of the same problems confronting the present one.
He criticised what he described as the tendency of political elites to place their ambitions and survival strategies above public welfare, arguing that citizens should not be expected to endure prolonged hardship simply because those in power shared their regional identity or claimed to represent their interests.
“The people are not the property of their leaders,” he wrote, warning that citizens’ votes and trust, particularly those of vulnerable populations, must never be treated as permanent entitlements.
He called for a political culture in which leaders competed on the strength of their policy proposals, measurable achievements and the quality of public services they provided.
Showunmi also urged traditional rulers, intellectuals, public servants, entrepreneurs and citizens to work towards a development agenda that transcended electoral cycles and delivered lasting benefits to future generations.
“I want to see an Arewa that is confident because its people are educated, secure, productive, and economically empowered,” he wrote.
He stressed that changing the region’s trajectory required collective responsibility, with citizens and institutions insisting on better governance and contributing to sustainable development.
“Hope without responsibility is an illusion, and pride without progress is an empty inheritance,” he stated.
He urged the present generation to confront difficult truths and work towards a future in which Northern children would enjoy greater opportunities than those available to many of their parents.
“Let us be remembered as the generation that confronted the truth, demanded accountability, seized the opportunities of its time, and began the difficult work of rebuilding a future in which every Northern child could stand tall,” he wrote.
Says Tinubu’s reforms need objective assessment
Turning to the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Showunmi urged Northern political leaders to assess their objectives and effects on ordinary Nigerians objectively.
He acknowledged the administration’s efforts to address structural weaknesses in the economy while recognising the hardship associated with economic adjustments, particularly among vulnerable households.
He argued that neither automatic support for the Federal Government nor blanket opposition to its policies would adequately protect the interests of Northern Nigerians.
“The North needs a serious, evidence-driven engagement with the national project; one that measures policies by their consequences and insists that the burdens of change do not fall disproportionately on those least able to bear them,” he wrote.
Showunmi urged Northern leaders to examine whether the reforms were improving productivity, attracting investment, strengthening public finances and generating employment, while demanding appropriate interventions to cushion the effects of economic hardship.
He also called on the region to prepare for opportunities that might emerge from economic restructuring through sustained investment in education, vocational training, agricultural productivity, industrial development, infrastructure and enterprise.
“If the reforms succeed in creating new opportunities, Arewa must be positioned to seize them. If the reforms fall short, Northern leaders must be prepared to identify the shortcomings, demand adjustments, and advance practical alternatives,” he stated.
He stressed that the North should engage constructively with national economic policies, insisting that political antagonism must not replace objective evaluation of policies affecting the welfare of its people.
