The Katsina Elders’ Forum has voiced its opposition to the proposed relocation of crucial projects, including the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport’s refurbished airport rescue and firefighting vehicles project, to the southern part of Nigeria.
Expressing deep concern about the potential socio-economic repercussions for Northern Nigeria, the forum has cautioned President Tinubu to reconsider this decision or risk facing a loss of support in the upcoming 2027 elections.
Addressing the media in Katsina after a closed-door meeting, Aliyu Mohammed, the Secretary of the forum, revealed that the contractor for the airport project had written to the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, seeking relocation for reasons they deemed as unsubstantiated.
Mohammed accused certain individuals of providing misguided advice to Tinubu, labeling them as enemies of Nigeria whose intent is to undermine the country’s unity by relocating critical departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to the South.
“We are telling Mr. President, as long as he is interested in coming back in 2027, as long as he is interested in the votes of the Northerners, to reverse these unconstitutional decisions. Whoever is advising him to take such decisions is an enemy of the country,” asserted Mohammed.
The forum also leveled accusations at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, alleging alignment with the federal government’s plan to relocate critical projects. Mohammed asserted, “The FCT Minister is inviting the Israelis to come and provide security to Abuja.”
Emphasizing the pressing need for Tinubu to prioritize addressing security challenges in the North, the forum criticized his focus on relocating economically significant projects.
Mohammed urged Tinubu to reconsider his decisions, underlining that the North was not prepared to support him in the 2027 elections if critical departments were moved to Lagos amid the prevailing insecurity in the region.
