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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The National Coordinator of Disciples of Jagaban (DOJ), Abdulhakeem Adegoke Alawuje, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pay closer attention to concerns over perceived regional and religious imbalance in his administration, warning that political opposition ahead of the 2027 election must not degenerate into ethnic or religious mobilisation.
Alawuje, who made the call at a press conference on Saturday, said his position was informed by his participation in more than 25 political gatherings where he was invited to defend the Tinubu administration and respond to criticisms against the President.
According to him, his interactions with Nigerians from different regions, religious backgrounds and political persuasions had revealed that some of the growing opposition to the administration was driven not only by governance issues but also by perceptions of exclusion and inadequate representation.
“What I have observed is both concerning and instructive,” Alawuje said.
“In my assessment, a significant proportion of the arguments presented at these gatherings are not entirely about governance or the actual performance of the administration. Many of them are increasingly influenced by perceptions that certain regions or religious groups are not receiving fair enough treatment under the present administration.”
While rejecting the use of regional or religious sentiment as a basis for opposing the President, Alawuje said the concerns themselves should not be dismissed.
“I do not agree with turning these concerns into regional or religious opposition to the President. However, I also believe we must not dismiss the concerns of Nigerians who genuinely feel excluded, disadvantaged, or inadequately represented,” he said.
He therefore appealed to Tinubu to demonstrate more clearly his commitment to fairness, inclusion, justice and equal opportunity across the country.
“Defending the President should not mean refusing to acknowledge genuine concerns,” he added.
Responding to criticism that he speaks too frequently in defence of the President, Alawuje acknowledged that some people may say, “Alawuje talks too much.”
His response, he said, was that Nigerians have a right to speak based on what they hear, see and experience.
“Every individual speaks from what he has heard, seen, experienced, and understood,” he said, while quoting the Yoruba saying, “Ọ̀rọ̀ ni ẹyẹ; ẹyẹ ọdẹ náà ń sọ ohun tí ó ti gbọ́.”
Alawuje said his frequent public interventions should not exempt his views from scrutiny, stressing that he welcomed disagreement supported by facts and evidence.
“If I am wrong, let those who disagree with me correct me with facts, evidence, and better arguments,” he said.
“The solution to political disagreement is not to silence one another. The solution is to listen, examine the facts, and engage respectfully.”
The political commentator also acknowledged the legitimacy of calls for Tinubu not to seek or win a second term, saying such opposition was an essential part of democratic politics.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with saying ‘Tinubu must go.’ In a democracy, political parties, opposition politicians, civil society organisations, and individual citizens have every right to campaign for a change of government,” he said.
However, he urged opponents of the President to base their arguments on governance and present Nigerians with credible alternatives.
“Let the argument be based on his performance. Let it be based on his policies and reforms,” Alawuje said.
He listed the economy, security, employment, education, healthcare, infrastructure, poverty, social welfare, accountability and the general welfare of Nigerians among issues that should determine the 2027 contest.
“What concerns me is when political opposition begins to take the form of a regional, ethnic, or religious mobilisation,” he warned.
“No particular region, religion, or ethnic group should present the presidential contest as though the Nigerian presidency belongs exclusively to it.”
According to him, allowing Nigerians to vote primarily along regional or religious lines could expose the country to dangerous divisions.
Alawuje stressed that his defence of the Tinubu administration should not be interpreted as an attempt to dismiss genuine criticism.
“My position should not be misunderstood as saying that every criticism of President Tinubu is motivated by sentiment. No,” he said.
“There are legitimate concerns across the country that deserve serious attention.”
He urged the President to listen to complaints about perceived regional or religious imbalance, particularly where such perceptions are linked to government appointments and policies.
“Where citizens believe that certain policies or appointments are creating perceptions of regional or religious imbalance, the administration should address those perceptions openly and transparently,” he said.
“Leadership requires listening as much as speaking.”
Alawuje added that supporting the President should not require Nigerians to ignore their difficulties, just as criticising the administration should not automatically be equated with hatred.
“Support does not have to mean silence, and criticism does not have to mean hatred,” he said.
The former presidential defender also called for a more substantive national debate on the economic and other reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration.
He said Nigerians should openly examine the hardship associated with the reforms and assess whether the promised benefits were reaching ordinary citizens.
“Are the reforms working? Are they being properly implemented? Are the benefits reaching ordinary Nigerians? Who is bearing the greatest burden?” he asked.
He also challenged the government to acknowledge shortcomings where they exist and make necessary adjustments.
“If the government’s reforms are succeeding, let the government demonstrate that with facts. If they are failing in certain areas, let the government acknowledge those shortcomings and make the necessary adjustments,” Alawuje said.
He similarly challenged opposition parties to put forward concrete alternatives rather than relying on political sentiment.
“And if the opposition believes it has better solutions, let it present them to Nigerians,” he added.
As political activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election intensify, Alawuje appealed to politicians, activists, religious and traditional leaders, commentators and citizens to moderate their language.
“We can oppose President Tinubu without opposing a region. We can criticise his administration without attacking a religion. We can campaign against his re-election without demonising an ethnic group,” he said.
“Likewise, we can support his re-election without portraying those who disagree with us as enemies of Nigeria.”
Alawuje maintained that Nigeria must remain greater than individual politicians, political parties and identity groups.
“No region owns Nigeria. No religion owns Nigeria. No ethnic group owns Nigeria. And no political party owns Nigeria,” he declared.
He said the presidency ultimately belongs to the Nigerian people, who should be allowed to make their choice based on informed democratic judgment.
Calling on both supporters and opponents of Tinubu to make their cases to voters, Alawuje said: “Let us make the 2027 election a contest of ideas, records, policies, competence, and vision.”
“Let us argue over policies, not identities. Let us debate performance, not ethnicity. Let us examine governance, not religion. Let us challenge ideas with better ideas.”
He concluded with a call for Nigerians to protect national unity while exercising their democratic rights.
“Let us disagree without becoming enemies. Let us criticise without destroying one another. Let us support without becoming blind. Let us oppose without becoming destructive. And let us put Nigeria first,” he said.
