The Christian Youths of the North Central, Middle Belt Zones (CYNCMB) have strongly condemned the recent visit by some individuals parading themselves as Middle Belt elders to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the visit and its purported endorsement of the President as self-serving, misleading and divisive.
The group, through its leader, Ishiaku John Gyang, said the purported endorsement did not represent the collective position of the Middle Belt, insisting that no regional meeting or consultation had been held to secure such a mandate.
Gyang declared that the elders were acting in their personal capacities and had no authority to speak for or commit the people of the region politically.
“If there is any region that has suffered immensely under the Tinubu administration, it is the Middle Belt, where thousands of innocent lives have been lost. At no point did the people of our region collectively resolve to endorse President Tinubu,” he said.
He questioned the rationale behind the purported endorsement, arguing that the administration had failed to deliver tangible benefits to the region despite the worsening security situation, economic hardship and infrastructural decay.
“On what grounds are they endorsing Tinubu? Our roads are in deplorable condition, insecurity continues to ravage our communities, and there are no meaningful appointments or tangible interventions that have translated into benefits for our people,” he asked.
The Middle Belt youth leader also accused the President Tinubu of promoting divisive politics instead of addressing the country’s pressing governance challenges.
“Every part of the country has suffered the consequences of bad politics and poor governance. Coming to pitch us against our Muslim brothers in the name of religion will not work. We reject the politics of division,” Gyang declared.
He maintained that the delegation that visited the President was essentially a gathering of selected Christian politicians and APC sympathisers from different parts of Northern Nigeria, rather than a representative delegation of Middle Belt leaders.
Citing the geographical origins of some prominent members of the delegation, Gyang questioned their claim to represent the Middle Belt.
“Yakubu Dogara is from the North-East, General T.Y. Danjuma is from Taraba State in the North-East, General Christopher Musa is from the North-West, while Pogu is from Borno State in the North-East. They should stop playing religious politics and passing it off as the collective position of the Middle Belt,” he said.
He particularly expressed disappointment with the involvement of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, arguing that his political history should have taught him the importance of regional solidarity beyond religious considerations.
“Yakubu Dogara should know better. He was once Number Four citizen of this country as Speaker of the House of Representatives. He did not occupy that position by playing the religious card. Our Muslim brothers from the region supported him. Why then should anyone now seek to divide us along religious lines?” he queried.
Gyang said the group completely dissociated itself from what he described as an attempt to mortgage the political future of the Middle Belt for personal and political benefits.
He lamented the persistent killings and insecurity in Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi and Niger States, stressing that communities across the region continue to suffer devastating consequences of violence, displacement and destruction of livelihoods.
“While our people are being killed daily, these leaders are negotiating for positions. Our region is not for sale. They did not visit the President to demand protection for our people or an end to the killings. They went there for positions. It is a shame,” he said.
The youth leader described the purported endorsement as an unfortunate display of selfishness and insensitivity, insisting that those involved do not speak for the ordinary people whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated by insecurity.
He further cautioned President Tinubu against assuming that political endorsements by selected individuals automatically translate into popular support across the Middle Belt.
According to him, the region’s realities cannot be concealed through political visits, staged endorsements and carefully orchestrated photo opportunities.
“Hunger, insecurity, displacement and years of neglect cannot be covered up with a visit to Aso Rock.
The Middle Belt is bleeding. Our villages are empty, our farms are abandoned, and our people are languishing in IDP camps. No endorsement can erase that reality,” Gyang stated.
He insisted that the people of the Middle Belt would independently determine their political future at the ballot box, warning that no group of elders could legitimately mortgage the region’s collective interest for personal gains.
“We in the North Central and Middle Belt will not support a failed government like the APC. Our people deserve security, justice, development and responsible leadership. We will make our voices heard at the ballot,” he declared.
The group consequently urged Nigerians to disregard the purported endorsement, insisting that the visit should not be presented as the position of the Middle Belt or its Christian population.
