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Northern Nigeria in danger of total collapse, Dangote, Atiku warn
Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote and former vice president Atiku Abubakar have warned that northern Nigeria may further slide into chaos and become totally deserted by investors if the current state of insecurity is not brought under control.
They gave the warning, directly to northern leaders, at the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, 25th anniversary dinner in Kaduna.
Dangote, a foreman industrialist and founder of Dangote Group, linked the North’s slow economic growth and rising insecurity to decades of policy inconsistency and chronic electricity shortages.
He said many promising northern industries collapsed because government policies “kept shifting the goalpost,” eroding investor confidence.
He recalled commissioning Arthur Andersen (now part of KPMG) to study why northern textile magnates and other industrialists failed despite strong starts.
The findings, he said, pointed largely to unpredictable government policies and an unreliable power supply. Dangote disclosed that his group connects to public electricity only in South Africa and Ethiopia, because of Nigeria’s unstable grid.
“Without electricity, you cannot have growth, no matter how hard you try,” he warned.
He added that today’s insecurity — banditry, youth joblessness and economic displacement — is a direct consequence of long-standing neglect.
Dangote urged northern leaders to commit to a coherent, long-term economic roadmap anchored on education, industry and agriculture, aligning with the transformation agenda highlighted by Atiku.
He noted that the North has the landmass and population to become West Africa’s food hub, but remains far from realising that potential due to poor planning and inconsistent investment.
He cautioned that unless urgent steps are taken, the crises confronting the region “will consume everyone, whether guilty or not”.
Despite the celebratory tone of the ACF’s silver jubilee, both leaders stressed that the anniversary should serve as a wake-up call.
He cautioned that without a clear vision and collective resolve, the region would “stagnate and sink deeper into insecurity”.
On his part, Atiku praised past ACF leaders for sustaining the body through “thick and thin”. But, he insisted, nostalgia must give way to honest assessment and strategic action.
He recalled how, upon assuming office in 1999, he led efforts to unify the region’s divided political blocs through a reconciliation committee chaired by the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari — a process that birthed the modern ACF.
Atiku stressed that the forum was conceived not only to foster political harmony, but to drive development in line with the vision of Sir Ahmadu Bello.
He cited the Sardauna’s 1961 priorities — education, agriculture and industrial growth — noting that they remain more urgent today than ever.
He outlined past initiatives such as the Northern Education Project, which exposed the region’s crumbling school system and triggered reforms that boosted enrolment and transition rates.
He also referenced the Northern Development Project, NDP, which sought to rebuild agricultural value chains and address climate-induced productivity challenges. Yet, he lamented that key obstacles — from energy poverty to multiple taxation — still plague northern industries two decades on.
Warning that diversity was becoming a weapon in the hands of adversaries exploiting fear and disinformation, Atiku urged the North to emulate countries like India and China, which have achieved economic transformation despite vast pluralism.
He challenged northern leaders to confront questions of population growth, food security, education, jobs and the region’s readiness for a knowledge-driven global economy.
“If ever there was a moment for the North to come together, that time is now,” he said.
The David Mark-led faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the Federal High Court judgement that removed its leadership.
The opposition party also disclosed that it had filed an application seeking a stay of execution of the judgement pending the hearing and determination of its appeal.
The party made this known in a statement on Friday, November 6, adding that it had formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the legal steps taken,
The appeal is against the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 5, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1619/2025, involving Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe and the ADC.
The party urged INEC to refrain from taking any further action on the matter until the Court of Appeal has considered the case.
It argued that the application for a stay of execution was yet to be decided and that the electoral commission should not take any step that could affect the outcome of the appeal.
According to the ADC, it expects INEC to respect the ongoing legal process and allow the appellate court to hear the matter before making any decision connected to the judgement.
The statement partly read, “The ADC is exercising its lawful right to appeal. The judgement is now being challenged before a higher court, and the legal process must be allowed to run its course.
“We expect INEC to uphold the law and take full account of the pending proceedings before making any consequential decisions.”
The party also urged its members and supporters to remain calm, insisting that the court judgement would not stop its political activities.
It said its campaigns would continue while it explored all available legal options to defend its position.
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The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Senator David Mark, declaring the caretaker committee that oversaw the party’s affairs illegal and invalidating all decisions taken by the committee.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, also affects the presidential primary that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the ADC’s flag bearer for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku, whose name had earlier been published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s presidential candidate, had already selected former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
The ruling followed a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the ADC, who challenged the process through which the David Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party.
Gombe argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to take over the leadership.
He consequently asked the court to invalidate all actions undertaken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Senator Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from presenting themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
The plaintiff maintained that their emergence violated the ADC constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
In suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, the ADC, INEC, Senator David Mark, Aregbesola and Chief Ralph Nwosu were listed as defendants.
Justice Lifu upheld Gombe’s claims and granted the reliefs sought, effectively invalidating the authority of the caretaker committee and decisions taken under its leadership.
The verdict is expected to trigger fresh political uncertainty within the ADC, particularly over Atiku’s presidential ambition and the party’s preparations for the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
However, the party has vowed to challenge the judgment at the appellate court.
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