Northern women ulama backed Tinubu over achievements, inclusivity — Uba Sani

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has said the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election by Northern women Islamic scholars was based on his administration’s achievements and inclusive governance.

Sani made the statement on Sunday at a stakeholders’ engagement with delegates from the 19 northern states at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Conference Centre.

The engagement was organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari.

The governor said the delegates represented millions of women across the region and had made their support for Tinubu clear through their leaders.

“They are not endorsing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu based on sentiments or some selfish reasons. It is simply because of what he has done for Nigeria and for Northern Nigeria in particular,” he said.

Sani said the women ulama cited Tinubu’s interventions in education, infrastructure, healthcare and agriculture as reasons for their support.

He added that the scholars believed the President had treated all parts of the country fairly and had promoted development without discrimination.

According to him, education was particularly important to the North because of the region’s wide educational gap.

“Within three and half years, the president has invested in not only conventional education, but most importantly in skills-based education,” he said.

The governor cited the Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as examples of initiatives from which the region had benefited.

He claimed that Northern Nigeria accounted for more than 60 per cent of beneficiaries on the NELFUND and TVET dashboards.

Sani said the governors supporting Tinubu would help the women ulama take their message to communities across the 19 northern states.

He also dismissed campaigns based on North-South sentiments, describing them as a “lazy argument.”

The governor argued that several politicians who previously held senior government positions, including vice presidents, governors and ministers, had not done as much for the North as Tinubu.

The event was attended by Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya, Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni and Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum.

The Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle, Minister of Housing, Muttaqa Rabe Darma, and other senior government officials were also present.