Presidency Defends Tinubu’s Road Projects Amid Kwankwaso’s Accusations of Northern Neglect

The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has rejected claims that the Federal Government is favoring southern Nigeria in its road infrastructure rollout.

Speaking Monday on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Abdulaziz described the allegations made by former NNPP presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso as unfounded and divisive.

Kwankwaso had alleged that the Tinubu administration was neglecting key northern projects like the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway while directing limited resources toward road development in the South.

Abdulaziz called for a shift away from regional thinking, stressing that infrastructure should be evaluated based on national value and economic impact.

“We should look at things as national projects and not as northern or southern projects,” he said. “The most important thing is what value the projects bring and not because they are sited in the North or the South.”

“There is the need for justice and fairness, and I’m sure nobody can accuse this government of being unfair to either region. Projects are being sited equally.”

Responding specifically to Kwankwaso’s accusation that the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway has been abandoned, Abdulaziz clarified that work is ongoing and that the route remains a key priority for the Tinubu administration due to its strategic relevance in the North-West geopolitical zone.

He added that just as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is prominent in the South, the Sokoto-Badagry Road which traverses a large portion of the North mirrors its scale and economic significance.

Abdulaziz emphasized that infrastructure decisions are being made based on economic rationale and connectivity, not ethnic or political considerations.

His remarks come as the administration faces increasing scrutiny over how limited federal resources are being allocated, especially amid rising regional tensions.