Tinubu’ll Still Win Northern Votes Despite Buhari’s Death – Shehu Sani

Former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will still secure massive support from the North despite the recent death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sani made the remark in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, noting that the demise of Buhari will not negatively affect Tinubu’s political fortunes in Northern Nigeria as some have predicted.

“Buhari is dead, but Tinubu will still get Northern votes,” Sani wrote.

The former lawmaker also alluded to the growing discontent among the country’s younger generation, especially Gen Z, whom he described as emotionally charged, unfiltered, and deeply unforgiving toward Nigeria’s political elite.

“A new generation of retributive citizens have evolved; unrestrained in their anger, unfiltered in their bitterness, and unforgiving in their souls,” he wrote.

Sani’s comments come amid growing political realignments in the North following Buhari’s passing. He hinted at ongoing moves by some Northern political heavyweights to regroup ahead of the 2027 elections.

Although he didn’t mention names, analysts believe his remarks may be targeted at politicians such as Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, and Aminu Tambuwal, who have all been linked to renewed talks of building a united Northern front against the current administration.

Sani, however, dismissed such efforts as misguided and potentially doomed to fail. He maintained that Tinubu still enjoys widespread grassroots acceptance across the North due to his political maturity, alliances, and calculated distribution of federal appointments.

The former senator also took a swipe at Northern politicians who, according to him, were silent during the economic and security challenges of the Buhari era but are now vocal in opposition.

“Over 63,000 Nigerians were killed during the last administration. Insecurity worsened. Poverty deepened. And yet, many voices in the North remained quiet,” Sani added in a separate post.

He urged Nigerians, especially in the North, not to be swayed by sentimental attachments to Buhari’s legacy but to objectively assess the country’s progress under the current leadership.