Zamfara Betrayed: Tinubu’s Lopsided Appointments and the Silence of APC Leaders

By [SUFIYANU USMAN]

Date: 26th August, 2025

When Zamfara went to the polls in 2023, its people delivered 59% (percent) of their votes to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That mandate was not easy. It was won in the midst of raging insecurity, poverty, and hopelessness. Ordinary citizens, especially the youth, risked their lives under banditry and threats just to mobilize support for the APC. They believed their loyalty would translate into political recognition and development. Yet now two years into Tinubu’s administration, Zamfara has been left with nothing but disappointment. The state that stood firmly for APC has become the most marginalized in political appointments.

The imbalance is glaring when compared with other North-Western states. Kano, where Tinubu lost badly to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has secured multiple federal positions. Kaduna, where APC votes collapsed, still enjoys plum appointments in strategic ministries. Katsina, Buhari’s home state, received its share of influence despite a divided vote. Sokoto, which tilted heavily towards the PDP, was not left out either. Zamfara, by contrast, the state that delivered one of the highest percentages of APC votes, has been pushed to the margins.

The clearest insult came with the recent appointment at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Center. The position of CEO and Managing Director, which was initially meant for Zamfara and given to Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura, was suddenly withdrawn and handed to Rinsola Abiola from Lagos State. That single act told Zamfara people that their votes and sacrifices do not matter. It confirmed their worst fears that despite their loyalty, Abuja has no place for them.

What makes this betrayal more painful is the silence of Zamfara’s APC leaders. During the campaigns, they stood on podiums, assuring the people that federal recognition and inclusion would follow Tinubu’s victory. Now, faced with the glaring marginalization of their state, they have gone quiet. Their voices are missing, their defense of Zamfara absent. Many are beginning to wonder whether these leaders have traded the collective interest of the state for personal favors. Their silence is deafening, and their complicity undeniable.

The greatest victims of this neglect are Zamfara’s youth. It was the youth who carried the APC campaign on their shoulders, who moved house to house, who filled the rallies, and who defied insecurity to stand boldly behind Tinubu. They believed that victory would open doors for empowerment, appointments, and inclusion. Instead, they have been abandoned. Opportunities that should have gone to young men and women from Zamfara are now being occupied by outsiders. The youth feel cheated, used during the campaign, and dumped after the election. This neglect is already breeding frustration that could shake the very foundation of APC in Zamfara.

The message of Tinubu’s lopsided appointments is dangerous. It says that loyalty is punished while betrayal is rewarded. If a state that gave so much can be sidelined, what incentive is left for voters in the next election? It is a dangerous gamble, one that risks alienating the very people who formed the backbone of APC’s victory in Zamfara.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must urgently correct this imbalance. Zamfara deserves to be recognized in political appointments, not as a favor but as a right. Equity and fairness demand nothing less. The people of Zamfara, especially the youth who gave their energy and sacrifice, must not be abandoned.

To Zamfara’s APC leaders, history will not be kind to those who chose silence over justice. If they can not defend their people when it matters most, then they have betrayed the trust of those who stood with them during the struggle. Zamfara deserves better, and loyalty must not be rewarded with marginalization.

ZAMFARA EMI LOKON

2027 is around the corner..

Copied