Tinubu’s reforms backed by northern elders group

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

A northern elders’ group known as the Concerned Northern Elders Forum has thrown its support behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political and economic reforms, and also assured him of support ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement signed by Dr Nasir Manguno, the elders said they had noted the reforms being introduced by the President which had proven to be the most effective and transformational.

The elders noted that the administration had inherited an economy weakened by subsidy dependency, secrecy and selective compliance, and commended the President for choosing courage over convenience by pursuing reforms they described as difficult but necessary for national recovery.

“The north is not against reform. The north is against failure, and it will not be dragged backward by voices sponsored to fear progress,” the elders said in the statement.

The elders, however, disowned and sharply criticised recent statements credited to the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) over the activities of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), describing the position as a misrepresentation of the true aspirations of the North.

The elders stated that the so-called position of the NEF against the FIRS, its Executive Chairman and the economic reform agenda of President Tinubu neither reflected the collective conscience of Northern elders nor aligned with the progressive expectations of the region.

The elders said the NEF had lost its moral authority, and had gradually transformed from a forum of wisdom into what they described as a platform for political grievances and sponsored opposition narratives, insisting that leadership and elder statesmanship must be rooted in integrity, foresight and national interest, not nostalgia for failed systems or entitlement to privilege.

The elders, however, noted the efforts of the FIRS to support the growth and stability of Nigeria’s economy through its recorded consistent over-performance of revenue targets, strengthened non-oil revenue mobilisation and deployment of technology and data-driven strategies to block historic leakages.

They added that the renewed emphasis on fairness and accountability had ensured that influence no longer guaranteed exemption from taxation.

The elders maintained that revenue reform was not punitive but central to nation-building, insisting that no country develops by shielding elites from responsibility or placing the burden of governance solely on the poor.

They emphasised that the true priorities of northern Nigeria included job creation, infrastructure development, education and accountability, and not recycled rhetoric and inherited excuses. “These aspirations require strong institutions, fair taxation and fearless leadership.”

The elders, however, reaffirmed their support for the FIRS, President Tinubu’s economic reform agenda and public servants committed to national interest over elite comfort, stressing that history favours reformers and not obstructionists.