A former aide to ex-Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Salihu Tanko Yakasai, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for what he described as an “excessive concentration” of federal projects, resources, and appointments in Lagos State to the detriment of other regions.

In a post on his verified Facebook handle titled “Emi-Lokan or Lagos-Lakon?”, Yakasai questioned whether Tinubu is acting as President of Nigeria or simply of Lagos.

Naijaonpoint reports that Yakasai acknowledged that states which produced a president or voted overwhelmingly for him could expect some preferential treatment. However, he emphasised that once elected, a president must prioritise the welfare of all Nigerians, regardless of their state or ethnicity.

According to him, “I’ve noticed my friends and others from Lagos justifying the ₦712 billion rehabilitation of the Lagos International Airport, citing its profitability and status as the busiest airport in the country. I agree on the importance of Lagos International Airport. However, my question is: how many projects has President Tinubu awarded or approved for Lagos since becoming president? Let me mention a few: Lagos-Calabar Highway: ₦15 trillion. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: ₦196 billion. 7th Axial Road: $651 million (approximately ₦1.2 trillion). Murtala Muhammed International Airport: ₦712 billion. Perimeter fencing and security for Lagos Airport: ₦50 billion. Lagos-Shagamu Road: N11 billion. Lekki-Epe Service Lane: ₦158 billion. Lagos-Badagry to Sokoto Highway: ₦1.6 trillion. Rehabilitation of four bridges in Lagos (we dont even know how much that one cost) and Proposed $2 billion (approximately ₦3.2 trillion) loan for Lagos Light Rail, soon you’ll here work has start o.

“Considering these projects, along with others like the University of Lagos power project and Renewed Hope City etc, it’s clear that trillions have been invested in Lagos within the first two years of President Tinubu’s admin. This raises an alarm about the distribution of resources across states. For instance, my home state of Kano seems to have only the Renewed Hope City project, with little to no other tangible projects on the ground, only audio approvals.

“If these vast funds were invested in other states too, leveraging their comparative advantages, of course they would become economically viable as well. While it’s understandable that state that produced a president and those states that voted for him might receive preferential treatment, once elected, a president should prioritize the needs of all Nigerians, not just one state or tribe.

“I understand “Emi Lokan” but sometimes I wonder if Tinubu is the President of Nigeria or that of Lagos. Even his geopolitical zone, the South West, is being marginalized in favor of Lagos, not just in these projects but also in appointments. It’s safe to say that Emi lokan is more like Lagos Lakon.

“If all these are just within his first 2years in office, what then should we expect if he spends 8years in office till 2031? These are the arguments we should be making and not trying to justify why any project is a priority, of course it’s a priority. But what happened to equity, fairness, and justice?

“Any objective Lagosian with a conscience will know that this favoritism is ridiculous at a level we’ve never seen in the country’s history. But if agenda most agenda, then by all means, continue to defend it, while we continue to speak out so that the records will be there for prosperity sake.”