Dr. Tijjani Sarki

 A REJOINDER: KANO NEED TRUTH,NOT CONVENIENT SCAPEGOATS. By. Tijjani Sarki Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst 26 November 2025 The insecurity in Kano is real, painful, and deeply troubling. Families are fleeing their villages. Parents are afraid for their children. Businesses are suffering. But in the midst of this crisis, truth must not be sacrificed for partisan convenience. I am not exonerating Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, yet it is crucial to understand who truly holds the levers of power over security. In Nigeria, Governors are “Chief Security Officers” in title, but not in practical authority. The Nigeria Police Force, the Army, DSS, and other federal security agencies answer only to the federal government. Governors cannot deploy soldiers, command police officers, transfer DPOs, or enforce compliance. Despite this, some commentators have blamed the Governor entirely for security failures. This misrepresentation ignores reality and misleads citizens. Even within...

 A SILVER JUBILEE IN THE MIDST OF SHADOWS: A CALL FOR THE ACF TO DELIVER REAL SOLUTIONS NOT JUST SPEECHES. ByTijjani Sarki Good Governance Advocate & Public Policy Analyst I will be sincere,as I listened to the tributes, dignitaries, eloquent speeches, and ceremony marking the Arewa Consultative Forum’s silver jubilee, two emotions battled within me respect and a deep, unsettling discomfort. Respect, because surviving twenty-five years in Nigeria’s volatile political climate is no small feat. The ACF has weathered transitions and turbulence. The BOT Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, reminded us how, in 2000, northern elders, governors, emirs, and statesmen unified rival associations to create a platform that would protect the region’s dignity and pursue peace. But discomfort, because beneath the polished speeches and chandeliers, a harsh truth echoed: This is not enough. Not anymore. The North is bleeding, and speeches,no matter how elegant can no longer slow the flow. A REGION ...

 CROSS CARPETING AND THE CRISIS OF IDEOLOGY IN NIGERIAN POLITICS: A Call for Reform In Support of Abbati Bako’s “Can Nigerian Democracy Continue Without Political Party Ideology?” By Tijjani Sarki For a democracy to thrive, political parties must stand as ideological pillars representing distinct visions, values, and policies that guide national development. Yet in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, our political space is increasingly characterized by ideological confusion and unprincipled party switching, commonly known as cross carpeting. This has not only weakened the structure of our democracy but has also left the electorate disoriented and disillusioned. Abbati Bako’s insightful piece rightly raises a critical question, Can Nigerian democracy truly survive without political party ideology? If our parties continue to operate as vehicles for seizing power rather than platforms for promoting principles, and if elected officials continue to change parties with impunity, we are not practi...

 A DAY OF GRATITUDE, REFLECTION AND INSPIRATION AT MADATAI PRIMARY SCHOOL By Tijjani Sarki Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst 10th November, 2025 Saturday, 8th November 2025, will forever remain etched in the hearts of the people of Madatai, Kano City, as a day of gratitude, reflection, and renewed hope. It was the day when one of Kano’s illustrious sons, Professor Nazifi Abdullahi Darma, returned to his humble beginnings to give back generously to the very foundation that shaped his life, Madatai Primary School, an institution that has stood for over sixty years, nurturing thousands of pupils from the neighbouring quarters of Darma, Chedi, Sheshe, Madatai, Yola, Sharfadi, Sorondinki, Satatima, and others. As one privileged to be among the invited guests, I witnessed firsthand the overwhelming emotion that swept through the gathering tears of joy, heartfelt prayers, and a renewed sense of communal pride. It was more than a ceremony; it was a revival of faith in huma...

 WHEN LICENCES OUTPACE LEARNING: HOW POLITICS AND POOR PLANNING ARE FAILING NIGERIA’S UNIVERSITIES By Tijjani Sarki, Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst 11th November, 2025 INTRODUCTION Something is profoundly broken in Nigeria’s higher education story. Every few months, the headlines glow with announcements of new universities and polytechnics  fresh approvals from the National Universities Commission (NUC), bills passed by the National Assembly, promises of access and opportunity. Yet, behind the press statements and ceremonial groundbreakings lies a quieter, more painful truth, many of these institutions barely have students. While millions of young Nigerians chase limited admission slots each year, dozens of licensed campuses are running on empty admitting fewer than 1,000 students each. This is not just inefficiency. It is a costly illusion that mistakes proliferation for progress. THE NUC AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: EXPANDING WITHOUT DIRECTION At the centre of ...

 A SAN SHOULD KNOW BETTER: WHY PROF. AMUPITAN’S INEC APPOINTMENT BETRAYS THE PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE AND NATIONAL UNITY By Tijjani Sarki Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst  November 9, 2025 The recent SaharaReporters publication of November 6, 2025, titled “EXCLUSIVE: Tinubu’s Newly Appointed INEC Chairman Prof Amupitan Wrote Legal Brief In 2020 Report Confirming Genocidal Killings In Nigeria,” has continued to generate grave concern among Nigerians. Even more troubling is that, to date, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN)  the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  has not publicly denied, clarified, or retracted the controversial claims attributed to him. As revealed in the report, Prof. Amupitan authored a legal brief in 2020 under his private law firm, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) & Co., in which he described the insecurity in Nigeria as “genocide” and made the dangerous assertion that the Boko Haram insur...