Some northern groups have expressed divergent views on the recent Ramadan outreach by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu.

While some praised Seyi’s efforts in providing palliatives to the northerners, some others dismissed his efforts, describing them as a political stunt.

As part of his goodwill outreach for the holy month, the president’s son recently visited several states in northern Nigeria, including Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Yobe, Bauchi, and Sokoto.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that during the outreach, Seyi engaged with youths, distributed food packages for the Iftar (breaking of fast) period and met with several influential northern leaders and politicians.

In Niger State, Seyi met with former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar and also held discussions with immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna and Governor Uba Sani.

He also met with Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, religious and traditional leaders, including prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi and the Emir of Zazzau, Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli, according to reports.

However, Seyi’s outreach sparked diverse reactions from prominent youths and groups in the northern region.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, the Coalition of Northern Groups condemned Seyi’s outreach, describing it as a reflection of the poverty ravaging northern Nigeria and the country as a whole.

The CNG National Coordinator, Jamilu Charanchi, expressed displeasure that governance had been reduced to mere food distribution, adding that government at all levels had subjected citizens to severe hardship.

He said, “It is very unfortunate that the government has subjected its citizens to severe hardship and poverty to the extent that they see a small portion of rice as a gesture or contribution towards the development of a nation.

“It is also very unfortunate that poverty has ravaged the northern parts of the country to the extent that the people therein are not thinking of anything other than a way to feed themselves and their families.

“It is also very unfortunate that the son of a president will be moving from state to state, sharing food with people in nylon. That shows how poor the people are and how deeply poverty has ravaged the country.”

He said it was barbaric for anyone to be thinking of sharing food with the citizens instead of talking about Artificial Intelligence, developmental projects, economic welfare, and the security situation of the country.

“The economy is very bad. The inflation rate is skyrocketing. The security system is very bad. Farming and cattle rearing are becoming history in the northern parts of the country. These are the issues that the government is supposed to focus on so that a man can feed himself and his family instead of waiting for the president’s son to distribute food, he added.”

Similarly, the Northern Comrades Movement of Nigeria said Seyi’s action didn’t address the root causes of the prevailing hardship in the country.

In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Secretary-General of NCMN, Ahmed Ashir, questioned the motives behind the president’s son’s outreach, suggesting that it was merely an attempt to seek political favor.

“What the president’s son did is not commendable, according to us northerners. There is a proverb that says, ‘Charity begins at home.’ There are a lot of people in some parts of southern Nigeria who are in a very serious situation. They experience more hunger than some parts of the North.

“Besides, when you look at the amount of resources or food that Seyi Tinubu recently shared in the North, you will see that it was meagre and not enough. It was something he used to seek political favour ahead of the 2027 election.

But the current economic hardship is caused by his father. So, there is nothing Seyi Tinubu can do to favor his father come 2027. We northerners do not appreciate the recent move and want the president to address the root causes of the prevailing poverty and hardship plaguing people in the North.”

However, the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum backed Seyi’s move, noting that not many governors and prominent politicians in the region made similar efforts to assist the people during Ramadan.

“No matter how small the distribution was and no matter what anybody thinks about it, the president’s son, at least, made an effort by coming over and doing his part with Muslims in other parts of the country,” the AYCF President, Yerima Shettima told Saturday PUNCH.

He added, “How many northern leaders have initiated that kind of programme? How many of them are even well-to-do and in government? Only a few governors even do that. But Seyi did it, and he tried. I am not his spokesman, but he has tried. There is nothing to criticize him for. He has done what he did rightly, and I commend him.”

The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria also hailed Seyi Tinubu’s recent engagement.

In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the NYCN National President, Isa Abubakar, criticised those condemning the outreach, describing them as lacking foresight and critical thinking.

He said, “For the youths condemning Seyi Tinubu’s Ramadan outreach, I think it is very uncalled for. People don’t celebrate good things, and that is the problem.

Personally, I know how Seyi Tinubu has been positively affecting the lives of people. He has been assisting young people in getting appointments in his father’s cabinet. He has made young people ministers in his father’s cabinet. And he keeps reaching out to others financially and otherwise.

“Don’t we have families that are richer than Tinubu in the North? What have their children done to impact the lives of the masses or the downtrodden? Seyi summoned the courage and came out boldly to help, and someone is complaining.”