By Jabiru Hassan, Kano
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will lose 60 percent of votes from the North if he continues to retain David Umahi as Minister of Works, warned Alhaji Jadda Garko, a prominent APC politician and well-known singer in Northern Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Garko criticized Umahi for abandoning road projects and contractors in the northern region, describing his actions as “tribalistic and partisan.”
“As long as President Tinubu continues to retain David Umahi as Minister of Works, he will lose 60 percent of votes from the North in the next election,” Garko warned.
Garko questioned Umahi’s motives, asking, “Is it the fault of the Northerners because they elected the president?” He emphasized that Umahi’s removal or reassignment was necessary to address the issue.
“You know, as long as it goes on like this, with what face will the people of the North be looked at and asked to come out and re-elect President Tinubu? What are we going to tell them during the next election?” Garko asked.
Comparing Umahi to Babatunde Fashola, a former Minister of Works and Housing from the South, Garko noted, “Fashola is from the South, but he does not harm the people of the North like this.”
Garko concluded, “The Minister should be changed or removed and returned to the Niger Delta region. We, as supporters of the president, have seen the problem and have informed him; he should take action.”
Finally, Garko praised President Tinubu’s efforts to address citizens’ issues but urged him to take action against Umahi. “It is necessary, in my position as a true supporter of President Tinubu, to point out anything that could cause him problems.”
