Buhari Failed to Sustain Jonathan’s Northern Legacy — Okai-Austin

By Diafa Doubra,

Political activist and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Usman Okai-Austin, has criticized the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, saying it failed to build on the developmental strides initiated in Northern Nigeria under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

Okai-Austin, who contested for the Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency seat in the 2023 elections, lamented that many of Jonathan’s landmark projects, particularly the 157 modern Almajiri schools, have been abandoned and left in ruins. He argued that the schools were designed to reform the region’s education system by combining Islamic and Western education, but their neglect has worsened illiteracy in the North.

According to him, the North’s real problem is not political power but lack of development.

“The North wants development, not empty political power. What is the use of holding power when the poverty and illiteracy of our people are not addressed?” he said.

He dismissed claims that the North was marginalized during Jonathan’s administration, pointing out that prominent northerners like Nasir El-Rufai, Babachir Lawal, and Abubakar Malami, who held key positions under Buhari, had the opportunity to make a difference but failed to impact lives meaningfully.

Okai-Austin stressed that the truly marginalized people in the North are jobless youths, farmers unable to access their farmlands due to insecurity, children out of school, and women deprived of quality healthcare. He argued that political leaders often use the North as a bargaining tool for power while ignoring the suffering masses.

Calling for a generational shift, he urged young people in the North to step up and take leadership positions, insisting that fresh ideas and genuine commitment to development are needed to transform the region.