Jonathan Vatsa, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and former commissioner for information, culture, and tourism in Niger State, has criticized former president Muhammadu Buhari for allegedly neglecting Niger State for eight years due to his animosity towards former military president General Ibrahim Babangida.
During an interactive session with journalists in Minna, Vatsa expressed disappointment that despite Niger State providing overwhelming support to Buhari in the 2015 and 2019 elections, the state was met with “total neglect” in terms of development. Vatsa claimed that Buhari’s grudge against Babangida, who ousted him in a military coup in 1985, led to this neglect.
Vatsa highlighted that Niger State had consistently given Buhari maximum votes in previous elections, making it unfair for him to mistreat the state during his eight-year tenure. He cited numerous abandoned federal projects, both inherited and awarded by Buhari, as evidence of the state’s neglect. These included roads such as the Suleja-Minna dual carriage, Lambata-Agaie-Bida highway, Minna-Tegina-Kontagora roads, Kontagora-Rijau-Tungan Magajiya road, Baro port project, and Bida Basin oil exploration.
Vatsa further criticized Buhari for his failure to pay a single state visit to Niger State during his presidency, except for ceremonial events that yielded no tangible benefits. He also accused Buhari of prioritizing the Kano-Maradi rail line project in Niger Republic over the Minna-Abuja rail line promised to Niger State.
Vatsa called upon President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to rectify the wrongs done by Buhari to Niger State by completing the abandoned federal government projects in the state, with the aim of benefiting the common people.