REJOINDER TO THE OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU BY HON. IBRAHIM RABIU: A MISGUIDED PETITION THAT MISREPRESENTS HAUSAWA

 REJOINDER TO THE OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU BY HON. IBRAHIM RABIU: A MISGUIDED PETITION THAT MISREPRESENTS HAUSAWA

By Tijjani Sarki

Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst

In response to the recent open letter titled “Hausawa of Nigeria Officially Request the Separation of Hausa and Fulani” authored by Hon. Ibrahim Rabiu, it has become necessary to address the dangerous undertones and factual misrepresentations contained therein. The letter, which claims to speak on behalf of all Hausawa, calls for a formal ethnic separation between Hausa and Fulani people in federal and state matters.

1. Who is Speaking for the Hausawa?

At the very onset, it must be asked. In what capacity does Mr. Ibrahim Rabiu claim to represent the entire Hausa ethnic group of Nigeria? While every citizen has a right to express their views, it is deeply inappropriate and misleading for an individual to use an official title such as “Former Senior Special Reporter on Transportation to the Executive Governor of Kano State” to give weight to a personal opinion.

This misuse of public office titles for private advocacy not only undermines public trust but clearly raises questions about the intent behind the letter. Is this a sincere cry for justice or a veiled political stunt?

Where is the proof of consultation with any traditional rulers, elected representatives, elders, scholars, or youth groups across the Hausa-speaking world that endorsed this petition?

Does he have any organizational backing, cultural mandate, or institutional authority? Or is this simply a lone voice seeking to make noise in the name of millions?

Moreover, he failed to provide his family name, traceable address, or community ties, leaving readers unable to confirm his lineage or assess whether he even identifies historically or traditionally as Hausa. These omissions are not minor, they cast serious doubt on his credibility.

2. A Petition Without Merit

The call for the federal government to formally separate Hausa and Fulani people in appointments, education, employment, and identity documentation is completely unfounded, unconstitutional, and unprecedented.

Has  Rabiu seen any form, appointment letter, or national data instrument where “Hausa-Fulani” is used as a single administrative category?

Are government services or opportunities being denied to Hausa people because of assumed ties to Fulani?

Has he conducted any survey or research that proves this claim?

These are important questions he must answer. So far, his petition offers zero evidence and rests entirely on emotion and assumption.

The Nigerian Constitution does not recognize ethnic blocks in the form suggested by the writer. Rather, it guarantees the right to freedom of identity and equal access to public services, regardless of tribe or background.

And in truth, both Hausa and Fulani are already listed independently in official data where ethnic classification is required. The fusion of both groups into the social term “Hausa-Fulani” is cultural, not political or legal. It has never prevented anyone from being appointed, employed, or promoted on merit.

3. Conditional Political Support  For Whom?

It is also reckless for the writer to claim that the entire Hausawa population supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term conditionally, based on the acceptance of this divisive proposal.

How did he arrive at that conclusion?

Was a town hall or referendum held across Hausa communities?

Did the major emirs and political leaders endorse this position?

Clearly, such sweeping declarations amount to political blackmail, and it is disturbing that the writer would attempt to hold the office of the President hostage to a petition lacking national consensus or moral weight.

4. Sowing the Seeds of Division

The historical relationship between Hausa and Fulani communities spans centuries of cultural, religious, and political interconnection. They have intermarried, co-governed, and coexisted peacefully in most parts of the North.

To now call for their separation under the pretense of administrative fairness is not only historically ignorant, it is socially dangerous. It risks fanning the flames of division in a region and a country that is already fragile from decades of ethnic and religious polarization.

Does the writer consider the consequences of his proposal on national cohesion?

What becomes of families who are both Hausa and Fulani by lineage?

Will every citizen now be forced to "declare sides" in a centuries-old bond?

This kind of proposal is neither practical, legal, nor necessary, and it reveals a profound lack of understanding of governance and ethnic identity.

5. Is the Writer Being Used?

One cannot ignore the possibility that Hon.Rabiu is simply being used willingly or unknowinglyby actors who are enemies of progress and unity, both in the North and in Nigeria as a whole.

By promoting a call that has no constitutional basis, and by claiming to speak for millions without any mandate,  Rabiu has played into the hands of those who want to weaken the region’s political influence and discredit its unity.

The Northern region and especially the Hausa people cannot afford to be dragged into ethnic identity politics that serve only a few individuals with personal grievances or political ambitions.

6. Challenge to Provide Proof.

As a concerned citizen and advocate for good governance, I challenge Ibrahim Rabiu to provide:

i. Verifiable evidence of Hausa marginalization due to a Hausa-Fulani label.

ii. Any official government form, document, or appointment record where “Hausa-Fulani” is used as a merged identity.

iii. The names and contacts of the traditional or political leaders who endorsed this petition.

iv. Proof that the Hausa people condition their support for President Tinubu on this proposal.

Without such evidence, his petition must be seen for what it is, a dangerous distraction from the real issues affecting our people poverty, insecurity, unemployment, and a lack of access to education and healthcare.

7. A Final Word of Caution

 This call for separation between Hausa and Fulani has the potential to cause unrest, mistrust, and disunity not only in the North but across Nigeria.

Ethnic manipulation is a slippery slope. It has cost other countries decades of progress, and Nigeria cannot afford to go down that road.

As citizens, our responsibility is to build bridges, not burn them. We should be advocating for unity, equity, and justice across board not stoking fires of division based on narratives that cannot withstand scrutiny.

I urge Rabiu to reconsider his stance, withdraw this baseless petition, and channel his passion into constructive dialogue, backed by facts, research, and legitimate community engagement.

Nigeria needs healing not more fractures.

Signed,

Tijjani Sarki

Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst

Writing from Zawaciki, Kano

11th October, 2025