Atiku ally warns Northerners of ‘Cameroonian Ahidjo-style marginalization’ if APC wins in 2027

A staunch ally of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned that northerners could face political marginalization akin to the fate of Cameroon’s former president, Ahmadu Ahidjo, if the All Progressives Congress (APC) retains power in 2027.

Hamma Hayatu, a vocal supporter of Atiku, made the statement on Friday via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

He cautioned northern Nigerians against supporting President Bola Tinubu’s party in the next election cycle, urging them to resist the APC using “any legal means.”

“Dear Northerners,” Hayatu wrote, “Should by any misadventure APC comes back as president in 2027, the Cameroonian treatment awaits you from these NADECO people. Reject them like a plague… treat their supporters among you as betrayers. Jiki Magayi.”

Expanding on his reference to the “Cameroonian treatment,” Hayatu drew a historical parallel to the fate of Ahmadu Ahidjo, the first president of post-independence Cameroon.

According to Hayatu, Ahidjo, a Fulani from Garoua in northern Cameroon, was sidelined after illness forced him to temporarily hand over power to then-Prime Minister Paul Biya. When Ahidjo recovered and attempted to return, Biya refused to relinquish control, eventually becoming president in 1983. Ahidjo was forced into exile, first in Kano, Nigeria, and later in Dakar, Senegal, where he died in 1989.

“After Biya took full control,” Hayatu claimed, “northern Cameroonians were pushed out of key positions and governance structures. Only those deemed subservient were allowed to participate, reducing the region’s influence drastically.”

He concluded by warning that a similar fate could await northern Nigerians under continued APC rule, asserting that Muslims and northerners risk being politically sidelined unless proactive measures are taken.