Former Chairman of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Yusuf Usman, has urged voters in northern Nigeria to learn from recent political developments in Osun State and recognise the power of their votes in determining the country’s leadership.
Usman made the call during an interview with DCL Hausa, monitored by The News Chronicle on Wednesday, where he criticised alleged vote-buying, the deployment of large numbers of security personnel during elections and the use of religious sentiments for political mobilisation.
He described the deployment of more than 30,000 security personnel to Osun State during the election as excessive and an attempt to intimidate voters.
“They sent over 30,000 security agents to Osun State to intimidate people. 30,000. If you sent 30,000 to Zamfara, all the insecurity in Zamfara will be gone,” he said.
Usman questioned why such a large number of security personnel could be deployed for an election while insecurity continues to affect parts of northern Nigeria.
He, however, noted that the people of Osun State were not intimidated by the security presence and still exercised their right to vote.
The former NHIS chairman also accused politicians of spending billions of public funds to influence voters, saying Nigerians should consider the long-term consequences of accepting money during elections.
He urged northern voters to compare the short-term benefits politicians offer with the impact of their political choices over four years.
Usman said voters in the North have the power to determine who governs them through the ballot and urged them to use their votes wisely.
He also criticised the use of religious sentiments, particularly appeals for support for a Muslim-Muslim political ticket, describing such mobilisation as a political strategy rather than a solution to the challenges facing Nigerians.
READ ALSO: Africa Lost its Local Values and Talents to Greed for Foreign Products
According to him, poverty, insecurity, drug abuse, hunger and the growing number of out-of-school children remain serious challenges in northern Nigeria.
Usman further argued that Nigeria’s security challenges cannot be solved through military hardware alone, insisting that the government must address the underlying social and economic problems contributing to insecurity.
He also called on religious leaders to focus on tackling social challenges and holding political leaders accountable rather than supporting political campaigns.
“This is not my Islam, they are not representing me, they are not representing hundreds of millions of Muslims in Nigeria. Islam is better than they are,” Usman said.
