2027: Onoh slams Marafa over threat to reduce Tinubu’s vote by one million

Former South-East spokesman to President Bola Tinubu, Dr Josef Onoh, has taken on Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa over his vow to reduce President Bola Tinubu’s tally by one million votes in 2027 over the president’s alleged use-and-dump leadership style.

Onoh, in a statement made available to Tribune Online on Wednesday, claimed that the outbursts of the Zamfara-born politician appear to be driven more by personal grievances than by objective assessments of Tinubu’s administration.

Marafa represented the Zamfara Central senatorial district in the 7th and 8th National Assembly and was the Zamfara State Coordinator for the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign in 2023.

Onoh said Tinubu’s leadership has focused on building a broad-based coalition, but his efforts are being undermined by a few elements. He dismissed the threat by Marafa, who recently resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to diminish the president’s electoral achievements.

“Marafa’s contributions in 2023 are appreciated, but political loyalty cannot guarantee every individual’s desired role. If that be the criteria, then I can boldly say that the Tinubu-led government has been most unfair to me, which is true in every way. But never for one day have I complained because my support is rooted in the love of country above personal gains, which has now been lost in modern Nigerian politics.

“Marafa’s assertion that he can deduct one million votes from Tinubu’s 2023 tally is ambitious but questionable.

“In the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu secured 1,453,452 votes in the North-West, with Zamfara contributing a significant portion due to the APC’s strong campaign, in which Marafa played a role,” Onoh said.

The APC stalwart added that the claim by the former lawmaker to single-handedly influence one million votes ignored the collective efforts of the APC’s structure and the broader voter sentiment in Zamfara State.

“Marafa’s reference to Governor Dauda Lawal’s 2023 victory as evidence of shifting political alignments exaggerates his own influence. Lawal’s win was driven by multiple factors, including local dynamics and anti-incumbency sentiment, not solely Marafa’s political clout. The 2027 election will be determined by Tinubu’s performance and the APC’s campaign, not by one individual’s defection.

“Marafa’s use-and-dump accusation is a mischaracterisation of Tinubu’s leadership style. Although not perfect, throughout his political career, Tinubu has been known for nurturing alliances and rewarding loyalty. This is contrary to the APC as a party, which is made up of various personal interest groups whose selfish interests should not be used to judge President Tinubu’s personal reward system.

“For instance, his continued support for Vice President Shettima and other northern leaders, as well as non-northern leaders like Senate President Godswill Akpabio, demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity.”

On the question of marginalisation by the administration, Onoh accused Marafa of jumping the gun ahead of the 2027 elections.

“Marafa’s comparison to Nasir El-Rufai and Abdullahi Ganduje is selective; both leaders faced unique political circumstances, and their situations do not reflect a broader pattern of betrayal. Tinubu’s administration has appointed numerous northerners to key positions, including ministers, agency heads and security chiefs, debunking claims of marginalisation.

“If one should speak of marginalisation, I, as a South-Easterner, have all moral justification to speak out on behalf of my region because we are heavily marginalised. But we are silent because our pain can be seen in our silence.

“Marafa’s focus on the 2027 election is premature and distracts from the Tinubu administration’s ongoing efforts to address Nigeria’s challenges. I can authoritatively say that President Tinubu is preoccupied with tackling economic, security and infrastructural issues across the country, including in the North-West.

“His policies, such as the removal of fuel subsidies and efforts to stabilise the economy, are designed for long-term national benefit, even if they face short-term resistance. Marafa’s threat to mobilise against Tinubu overlooks the president’s commitment to delivering results that will resonate with voters by 2027.

“Senator Kabiru Marafa’s claims may be rooted in personal disappointment rather than a fair assessment of President Tinubu’s leadership.

“The president has demonstrated a commitment to equitable governance, security improvements and party unity, although his efforts are largely undermined by some of his appointees, including members of his inner circle, who shield him from his loyal supporters in favour of praise singers.

“While Marafa’s contributions to the APC’s 2023 victory are acknowledged, his vow to deduct one million votes is an overstatement of his individual influence and underestimates Tinubu’s broad support base.

“President Tinubu remains focused on delivering transformative governance for all Nigerians, including the people of Zamfara, and will continue to work towards a united and prosperous Nigeria by 2027, subject to the will of God above numerical deductions.”

On Marafa’s accusation of the administration marginalising Zamfara, Onoh said the government prioritised equitable resource allocation and infrastructure development across geopolitical zones under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“For instance, the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, recently clarified that infrastructure projects have been distributed fairly across the six geopolitical zones.

“Although the South-East strongly disagrees, it accepts that under the current administration, the five South-East governors and all other state governors have received more allocations than any governor since 1999.

“So, we cannot blame the president for their failure to develop the region, despite significant investments in roads, agriculture and security nationwide,” Onoh stated.

Contrary to Marafa’s allegation of marginalisation of the state by the government, Onoh said Zamfara was allocated a key position with Bello Matawalle as Minister of State for Defence.

According to him, “This appointment reflects Tinubu’s recognition of Zamfara’s strategic importance in addressing banditry and insecurity in the North-West. Marafa’s criticism that Tinubu’s government has failed to address insecurity in Zamfara is an oversimplification.”

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