Tinubu’s Gov’t only about him, his wife, son and bank account; ‘Renewed Hope’ Is ‘Renewed Hunger’ — Emir of Katsina

The Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Usman, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over worsening hardship and insecurity, describing the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda as “renewed hunger”.

The monarch made the remarks during a visit to his palace by Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, identified in the report as the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council.

In a video of the visit seen by Peoples Gazette, the emir accused politicians of abandoning ordinary Nigerians after elections, saying many returned to seek traditional rulers’ support only when another election approached.

“Every four years you come to my palace with a cap in hand, asking for prayers, asking for support. After the election, you disappear to Abuja, to Lagos. You don’t come back until the next election,” Usman said in Hausa.

He questioned whether politicians regarded the palace merely as a place to visit when they needed electoral support.

“Is the palace voting centre or toilet that you visit only when pressed?” he asked Yari.

The emir recalled that Katsina State had produced two former Nigerian presidents, the late Muhammadu Buhari and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, before criticising what he described as the growing pursuit of personal interests in politics.

“In my days, politics was about community. Now politics is about one man, his son, his wife, and his bank account. You call it ‘renewed hope’, but people in Katsina are in renewed hunger,” he said.

Usman also faulted APC members for engaging in internal political disputes ahead of the 2027 general election while insecurity continues to threaten communities across Katsina State.

He cited disagreements involving Governor Dikko Radda, former Governor Aminu Bello Masari and other party factions, accusing politicians of focusing on securing tickets instead of addressing attacks by bandits.

“You are fighting each other in APC—Governor Dikko Radda vs former Governor Masari vs former Governor Aminu Bello Masari supporters vs Abuja boys. All fighting for 2027 tickets while bandits are in Batsari, in Jibia, and in Safana, killing people. Is that not selfishness? Your people are dying; you are fighting for a ticket,” the emir said.

He claimed that banditry had forced about 52 schools to close and prevented farmers from accessing their farmlands in approximately 12 local government areas of the state.

The monarch further alleged that residents were paying ransoms running into millions of naira to secure the release of kidnapped victims, questioning why the visiting politicians were discussing campaign activities rather than security.

“People pay N10 million or N20 million ransom to Turji and his boys. And you come to me talking about the DG campaign for Tinubu 2027? Should you not be talking about DG security for Katsina 2026?” he asked.

Referring to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, the emir challenged the authorities to demonstrate tangible progress in tackling insecurity before seeking support for the 2027 elections.

“Where is Bello Turji?” he asked the presidential entourage. “You promised to handle security. Turji is in a forest 100km from here. Go and bring him, then come and campaign.”

Usman warned that politicians who prioritised their families, associates and personal interests over the welfare of citizens should not assume that voters would remain loyal to them.

“They will collect your rice and vote against you. They will collect your N5,000 and still vote for who they want because you taught them selfishness,” he said.

The emir also referred to the 2023 elections, claiming that the distribution of rice and money did not guarantee uniform electoral support in Katsina State.

“In 2023, you brought rice, you brought money, but Katsina people still split votes. In 2027, if you bring the same selfish politics, they will collect but not vote for you,” he added.

The remarks highlight the monarch’s concerns about insecurity, economic hardship and the tendency of politicians to prioritise electoral contests over the immediate challenges facing their constituents.

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