Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has attributed the persistent poverty, insecurity, and infrastructure decay in Northern Nigeria to the failures of past Northern leaders, not the policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking in an interview, Senator Sani criticised Northern political elites who have recently voiced strong opposition to the current administration.

According to him, many of these critics had previously held influential positions such as governors, ministers, or heads of federal agencies but failed to improve the region when they had the chance.

“Most of these people talking about Northern Nigeria today had the opportunity to transform the region. They failed in education, health, infrastructure, and security. They couldn’t address poverty, illiteracy, or the growing destitution in the North,” he said.

Sani argued that these individuals had access to both resources and power but lacked the will to initiate meaningful change.

He described their present criticisms of President Tinubu’s government as self-serving and lacking genuine concern for the welfare of the northern masses.

“Their opposition is not rooted in love for Northern Nigeria or for the talakawa (common people). If they truly cared, they would have used their time in office to address the region’s deep-rooted issues. The poor in the North today are victims of their failure in governance,” he added.

He also pointed to the hypocrisy of some former officials who, according to him, showed little regard for the region during their tenure but are now rallying under the guise of regional coalitions.

“When they were in power, they didn’t identify with the North they only identified with their positions. Now, they are inciting the public and forming so-called coalitions, driven by personal interest. They’ve been in power so long they don’t know how to live without it,” Sani said.

The former lawmaker, who hails from Kaduna State, emphasized that the current generation must not allow the region to be dragged back into what he described as “a history of failure, destruction, and divisiveness.”

“We in Kaduna have seen the consequences of their leadership. We will not return to that level,” he concluded.