THE immediate past chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Sheikh Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, has warned that denying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a second term could trigger a political crisis in the country.
News Point Nigeria reports that Pakistan made the remarks while addressing youth groups at his residence in Kano, where he argued that Tinubu should be allowed to complete a second term to maintain a smooth rotation of power between the North and the South, just as former President Muhammadu Buhari was allowed to serve two terms.
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The former NAHCON chairman cited what he described as improved security along the Abuja-Kaduna highway and a decline in food prices as some of the gains of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration.
He argued that the Tinubu administration inherited two major security challenges: the Boko Haram insurgency, which began before Buhari’s presidency, and banditry, which he said emerged under the former president.
Pakistan said: “If you look at insecurity used by some politicians to campaign, up to the time Buhari became president there was no kidnapping. There were no kidnapping cases in Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto and Kebbi states.
“Kidnapping started under Buhari. Of course, Buhari inherited Boko Haram insurgency, but banditry started under him. This means that Tinubu inherited two major security challenges: kidnapping and Boko Haram insurgency.”
He also warned that tribal politics would not augur well for the country, cautioning against opposing Tinubu’s re-election because of the region he comes from.
He said the rejection of political leaders on regional grounds could have serious consequences for the country’s future, stressing the need for fairness in the political process.
“We have to be fair to Tinubu. The type of politics we are playing where we reject somebody because of the region he came from is dangerous. If we sustain this, we will suffer in the future,” he said.
Pakistan recalled how Tinubu supported the late Muhammadu Buhari and insisted that he should complete his two terms in office, despite his illness, arguing that efforts by some people to deny Tinubu a second term could plunge the country into a political crisis.
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“The way Tinubu supported late Muhamamdu Buhari and insisted that he completed his two terms, even though he was ill and now some people are working hard to deny Tinubu a second term, we will fling the country into a political crisis in the future. Nobody will allow any northerner to take two terms,” he added.
The former NAHCON chairman also cited improvements in security along the Abuja-Kaduna route, comparing the situation during Buhari’s administration with what he described as the current situation under Tinubu.
He said travelling from Abuja to Kaduna was extremely dangerous until Buhari completed his second term, adding that motorists could now travel safely, even at midnight.
“Up to the time Buhari finished his second term in office, a journey from Abuja to Kaduna was suicidal. You only heaved a sigh of relief when you arrived in Kaduna. But now you can leave Abuja at 12am and arrive at Kaduna safely. It means there is an improvement,” Pakistan said.
He further recalled that the Abuja-Kaduna train service had previously been attacked and nearly grounded by kidnappers, leaving passengers afraid to travel by rail.
“There were times when the Abuja-Kaduna train was attacked. It was almost grounded by kidnappers. People were afraid to board the train. Now, it is safe,” he said.
Pakistan also maintained that food prices had dropped significantly under Tinubu’s administration, using the prices of rice and millet to illustrate his claim.
He said a bag of rice, which sold for N120,000 under Buhari, now cost N57,500, less than half the former price.
“Under Buhari, a bag of rice sold for N120,000, but today it is N57,500. It is less than half the amount under Tinubu,” he said.
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The former NAHCON chairman, who identified himself as a farmer, also compared millet prices under the two administrations, saying he previously sold a bag for N85,000 under Buhari, while it now sold for about N30,000.
“As a farmer, under Buhari I sold a bag of millet for N85,000. But today it is sold for about N30,000,” he added.
