The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, has reportedly challenged President Bola Tinubu’s campaign team to prioritise insecurity and economic hardship in Northern Nigeria rather than seeking royal support for the President’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general election.
The monarch expressed his displeasure when the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, led a delegation of party leaders and political stakeholders to his palace in Katsina on Thursday to seek royal blessings for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
The delegation included Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda; former Governor Aminu Bello Masari; and other APC stakeholders.
In a video reportedly circulating on social media, the Emir criticised politicians for approaching traditional rulers for prayers and support during election campaigns but allegedly neglecting them and their communities after securing political power.
“Every four years you come to my palace with cap in hand, asking for prayers, asking for support. After election, you disappear to Abuja, to Lagos. You do not come back until next election,” the monarch was quoted as saying.
The Emir’s reported remarks highlighted what he perceived as a disconnect between political leaders and the communities they seek to represent, particularly amid persistent insecurity and economic hardship in Katsina State and other parts of Northern Nigeria.
He urged the visiting politicians to focus on addressing the challenges confronting the people rather than concentrating on political ambitions and the struggle for elective positions ahead of the 2027 general election.
The monarch reportedly expressed concern over the security situation in the North, where banditry and kidnapping have continued to threaten lives, livelihoods and access to essential services.
He lamented that farmers in affected communities could no longer freely access their farmlands, while residents continued to face the threat of attacks and abductions.
The Emir consequently urged Yari to convey his concerns to Tinubu and other political leaders, stressing the need to prioritise the protection and welfare of citizens over the President’s re-election campaign.
He also warned politicians against deceit and violence ahead of the 2027 elections, reportedly declaring that “politics is not madness”.
The monarch’s intervention came as the APC prepares for the next general election, with political leaders already engaging traditional institutions and other influential stakeholders in anticipation of the contest.
The document also cited allegations that insecurity had forced the closure of 52 schools in the Emirate and prevented farmers from accessing their farmlands in 12 local government areas.
It further alleged that residents had been compelled to pay substantial ransoms to secure the release of kidnapped victims.
The figures and specific claims were not independently established in the supplied account.
The Emir’s reported comments also drew attention to political rivalries within the APC, with the monarch said to have questioned the priorities of party leaders allegedly preoccupied with the struggle for political tickets while communities continued to suffer attacks by bandits.
He reportedly challenged the politicians to demonstrate greater commitment to resolving the security crisis before seeking public support for another electoral contest.
The account also attributed to the monarch a warning that voters might no longer respond to campaign inducements in the manner politicians expected.
“If you do politics of selfishness — only for your family, your cronies, your contacts — then people will also do politics of selfishness,” he was quoted as saying.
The statement suggested that distributing rice or money during campaigns would not necessarily translate into electoral support if citizens believed their leaders had failed to address their concerns.
The Emir’s reported remarks have drawn attention to the relationship between political leaders and traditional institutions, particularly the expectations placed on elected officials to deliver security, economic relief and social services to their constituents.
Although the delegation visited the palace to seek royal blessings for Tinubu’s second-term ambition, the monarch reportedly used the occasion to underscore the need for political leaders to demonstrate tangible commitment to the welfare of the people.
