Mike Omeri
By Dahiru Yusuf Yabo
In the political history of Nigeria, few southern leaders have demonstrated the level of political trust, inclusiveness, and equitable appointments toward Northern Nigeria (Arewa) like Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR). While the nation continues to grapple with sectionalism, cronyism, and ethnic domination, the era of Jonathan stands out as a golden chapter of strategic inclusion and mutual respect between North and South.
It is important we remind ourselves, especially in this era of Tinubu’s unapologetic ethnic chauvinism, that the love Northerners (Arewa) had for Jonathan was not misplaced—it was earned. His appointments, policies, and leadership style were evidence of this love. And in return, Northerners rose to defend him in a time when his own region became silent or hostile.
The Jonathan Era: A Northern Affair in a Southern Presidency
Jonathan’s administration, contrary to popular mischief, was an Arewa-dominated government in practice. Virtually all critical security, electoral, economic, and judicial institutions were under Northern leadership:
Vice President: Namadi Sambo (Kaduna)
Senate President: David Mark (Benue)
Speaker, House of Reps: Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto)
INEC Chairman: Attahiru Jega (Kebbi)
Chief Justice: Justice Maryam Aloma Mukhtar (Kano)
NSA: Sambo Dasuki (Sokoto)
IG of Police: M.D. Abubakar (Zamfara)
CBN Governor: Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (Kano)
NDLEA, Immigration, Customs, NPA, FERMA, NEMA, CAC, FIRS—all headed by Arewa sons.
Jonathan even appointed Sarki Tafida, an Arewa elder statesman, as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK, a posting of extreme diplomatic trust.
Can the same be said of Tinubu today?
Tinubu’s Government: A Yoruba Empire in a Supposed Federation
Since assuming office in May 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has wasted no time in erecting an unmistakable ethnic fortress around the key institutions of Nigeria. His appointments reveal a dangerous pattern of Yoruba exclusivism, deliberately marginalizing the North in a way no southern leader has ever done.
Let us be honest: The North is being tolerated—not trusted—under Tinubu.
Key security posts are held by Yoruba sons.
The EFCC is headed by a Yoruba pastor.
The Customs Service leadership was delayed and manipulated to sideline northern succession.
Strategic economic institutions are skewed toward the South-West.
Northern ministers are treated as junior boys—tokens to pacify, not pillars to trust.
What Jonathan did out of a sense of national unity, Tinubu is undoing with calculated vengeance.
Arewa’s Love Was Not Blind—It Was Justified
The North did not support Jonathan out of desperation; it did so because it saw a genuinely humble, accommodating, and patriotic leader. A man who had no godfather complex, no tribalistic ambition, and no inherited bias against the region.
Jonathan trusted Northerners with power. He gave them responsibility without suspicion. He welcomed Northern leaders into the heart of his government. Even when many southerners grumbled, he stood by his decisions.
Today, under Tinubu, the North is being sidelined, insulted, and used as a ladder—but not as a partner.
Unrebuttable Contradiction: Tinubu vs. Jonathan
Where Jonathan united, Tinubu divides.
Where Jonathan empowered the North, Tinubu outmaneuvers it.
Where Jonathan carried Nigeria as one, Tinubu carries Lagos in his pocket and drags Nigeria along.
This unrebuttable contrast must be remembered by every conscious Northerner. The North must not forget who truly treated it as an equal stakeholder in the Nigerian project.
Conclusion: Love Begets Love—Hatred Breeds Resistance
President Goodluck Jonathan’s style of leadership was defined by humility, trust, and nation-building. In his cabinet, the North was not merely represented—it was respected. In his policies, the North was not pacified—it was prioritized.
If today’s political reality teaches us anything, it is that Jonathan’s leadership was a blessing that Nigeria failed to appreciate in full.
Tinubu’s style of governance—ethnically loaded, politically divisive, and administratively hostile—stands as a painful reminder of how the North has moved from power-sharing under Jonathan to power-begging under Tinubu.
It is time for Arewa to wake up and reflect.
Because love, once betrayed, gives birth to resistance. And no man, no cabal, and no region should take the patience of the North for granted again.
Dahiru Yusuf Yabo PGD-CMPC, MCM & MPPA Political & Security Analyst, Former Commissioner Sokoto State #BadGovernanceInNigeria #northwest #arewa #Nass #usa #Tinubu #Right #APCNigeria #Trump #uk #ECOWAS #StateDepartment #ADCcollition2027 #redline2027 #Jonathan #JCO2027
