Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Kano State governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has accused the federal government of favouring one part of the country in the allocation of national resources while neglecting other regions, particularly the north.
Speaking at a Kano stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment, Kwankwaso warned that the uneven distribution of national wealth and development efforts is deepening poverty and insecurity across northern Nigeria.
“I believe the issues we face today in this country, particularly in this part of the country, have to do with the mismanagement of resources by leaders at the national and state levels, and even at local government levels,” he said.
The former governor criticised both elected representatives and political elites, accusing some of being compromised and failing to advocate for the interests of their regions. He alleged that wealthy individuals often bribe legislators to influence budget decisions, resulting in a skewed distribution of national resources.
“We now have a tilted arrangement in terms of resource sharing in the country,” Kwankwaso said.
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He pointed to what he described as a “lopsided allocation of the national budget,” expressing concern that infrastructure and development projects appear concentrated in select regions to the detriment of others.
Citing personal experience, Kwankwaso narrated how a cancelled flight forced him to travel by road from Abuja to Kano—a journey he described as arduous due to the poor state of the roads.
“This is a road that was started many years ago, right from the beginning of APC’s leadership,” he said. “Now we hear that there is a road from the south to the east being built. We support infrastructure anywhere in the country, but when government takes our resources and dumps them in one part of the country, leaving others behind, I don’t believe that is the right thing to do.”
He urged lawmakers to stand firm and ensure fairness when deliberating on the constitutional amendment process, arguing that now is the time for the government to show that it belongs to every part of Nigeria.
“This is the time for the government to change—to convince our people that the government is not just on one side of the country,” he said.
