“If We Tolerated Buhari for Eight Years, Let’s Try Tinubu Till 2031” – PDP Chieftain Aliyu Babangida

Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, has called on Nigerians to give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a fair opportunity to govern, urging restraint from premature political agitation. Speaking during an interview on Arise News, the former Niger State governor remarked, “If we could tolerate the late Muhammad Buhari for eight years, oh my God, let’s try it—maybe by 2031, we can jettison the arrangement if we find it convenient.”

Aliyu challenged opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to present credible alternatives rather than simply aiming to remove the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). “What is the alternative you’re offering?” he asked, emphasizing that meaningful governance change requires more than political ambition.

He also highlighted the importance of Nigeria’s informal rotational power-sharing practice, questioning whether opposition parties are prepared to respect this politically sensitive arrangement, which currently favors the South. “Even though it’s unconstitutional, we seem to have accepted our rotation,” he noted.

Aliyu warned that internal party instability and defections could disrupt the political landscape. He speculated that President Tinubu could defect from the APC by 2031 if internal agreements falter, noting that such a move could pose serious constitutional and political challenges.

On leadership conduct, Aliyu used a powerful metaphor to stress accountability: “You cannot be bad and expect to have your child as an angel. Your child looks at you and the way you behave.” He urged political leaders to ensure inclusive governance so citizens feel part of the democratic process.

Aliyu also criticized the lack of internal discipline in the PDP, stating, “There are many people in the PDP we should have suspended or dismissed. But we are so incapable because they have been able to use money to penetrate all the organs of the party.”

He likened political defectors to nomads, saying, “A nomad does not have a home. In most cases, he does not even have a country. Wherever he finds himself, that is home,” implying that party loyalty has become transactional and unstable.