The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said northern voters are increasingly disillusioned with Nigeria's leading political figures, arguing that President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party's Peter Obi have yet to offer convincing solutions to the country's mounting challenges ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television's Prime Time programme on Monday, ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, said the region was losing confidence in the country's political class, which he accused of prioritising personal ambition over governance.
"We don't see any alternative now," Mohammed-Baba said, adding that no major political figure has presented a compelling vision capable of addressing Nigeria's economic and security crises.
According to him, northern voters have become frustrated with politics built around personalities rather than policies.
"I have not seen a party that articulates a clear policy ambition or an ideological standard. The average northern voter is disillusioned and has been for a long time," he said.
"We have tried all kinds of permutations—northern candidates, Muslim-Muslim tickets and so on. It seems to the average northerner that all this politics is about personalities and personal interests. It is not about people."
Mohammed-Baba said President Tinubu, who enjoyed substantial support from the North during the 2023 election, has seen his standing decline as a result of economic hardship and persistent insecurity.
"The impact of his policies on the economy and especially on individual lives has been highly disappointing, if not disturbing," he said.
He also expressed concern over the worsening security situation, arguing that many communities now feel abandoned by the state.
"Furthermore, the insecurity thing, no matter what the government says, is getting worse," he stated.
The ACF spokesman cited cases of rural communities facing threats from armed groups and warned that citizens were increasingly resorting to self-help because they no longer believed government protection would arrive when needed.
"We are gradually normalising self-help—that unless you do something, the government will not be there to protect you. That undermines the essence of the role of the state," he said.
Turning to Atiku, Mohammed-Baba questioned the former vice president's repeated presidential ambitions, arguing that he had failed to clearly explain what he would do differently if elected.
"I don't see anything from him that presents an alternative apart from saying this government has failed," he said.
"Where is the beef?"
He was equally critical of Obi, saying questions remained about the former Anambra State governor's political direction.
"He has moved to two or three parties. The question we ask is: what does he want?" Mohammed-Baba said.
He also criticised former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, accusing him of making comments that many northerners considered inappropriate when referencing the legacies of Northern political icons Ahmadu Bello and Aminu Kano.
"In the North, that is very irreverent. It would be highly delusional for him to go that far and say he presents an alternative," he said.
Asked to identify any presidential hopeful who currently enjoys broad confidence across the North, Mohammed-Baba declined to mention any name.
"We are waiting to see," he said.
The ACF spokesman also warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against complacency, saying political dominance achieved through defections and opposition weakness should not be taken for granted.
"Nothing fails like success. Be very careful, because sometimes complacency can spring surprises," he cautioned.
Mohammed-Baba further rejected suggestions that the North functions as a unified voting bloc capable of deciding presidential elections on its own.
"No one region can determine on its own the outcome of a presidential election and the North has never been able to do so alone, outside of military rule," he said.
He argued that rising fuel prices, insecurity, poverty and the growing number of out-of-school children would shape voter decisions in 2027 more than political alliances or regional calculations.
According to him, the election will ultimately favour any candidate capable of presenting practical solutions to Nigeria's problems.
"Is there anybody offering an alternative now?" he asked. "I don't see anything."
