According to a report by Daily Post on Saturday, September 6, 2025, Usman Okai-Austin, a political activist and former Peoples Democratic Party’s House of Representatives candidate for Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency in the 2023 elections, has said that many northern leaders are using the name of the region to push personal interests rather than standing for the people they claim to represent.
He noted that nobody currently speaks on behalf of the North, stressing that the region’s name is being used as a cover for individual political ambitions.
Okai-Austin, in his remarks, stated that what appears to be a united voice from the North is, in reality, a collection of personal agendas.
He explained that the absence of genuine representation has left ordinary people without a clear direction, while politicians continue to hide behind the image of the region for their own advantage.
The activist also pointed out that the idea of a major division within northern Nigeria, especially regarding the 2027 presidential race, is often overstated.
He said that the political differences presented to the public are mostly framed to create an impression of conflict, while, in truth, most leaders are simply pursuing what benefits them individually.
Okai-Austin recalled how, during past political transitions, northern politicians used similar tactics.
He referred to moments when leaders promoted certain candidates not out of concern for unity but for what they stood to gain.
According to him, this pattern has continued over time, with no genuine attempt to act in the collective interest of the region.
He highlighted the period before former President Muhammadu Buhari left office, when northern politicians were divided over who should succeed him.
Some promoted Ahmad Lawan, then Senate President, as the choice for the North, while others, like former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, supported a southern candidate in the name of national balance.
He described these moves as driven more by personal calculation than by a shared vision for the North.
Okai-Austin stressed that this culture of self-interest among leaders has prevented the emergence of a true northern position on national politics.
He argued that, despite claims of representation, the voices being heard are those of individuals, not of the region as a whole.
He further explained that until leaders begin to act beyond themselves, the North will remain without a genuine representative voice in Nigeria’s political space, for now, the activist maintained that what is being paraded as the northern interest is simply a mask for personal ambitions.
He said: “When Buhari wanted to leave, there was an attempt for the North to produce the next president. Some pushed for former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, while others like El-Rufai insisted the South should have its turn for national unity. These actions were driven by individual ambitions.
Find Verified News At Your fingertips Click The Button Below
