A viral video allegedly showing the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, challenging President Bola Tinubu’s campaign team over insecurity and economic hardship has triggered a political dispute, with an APC-aligned group disputing reports of the monarch’s remarks.
The controversy followed a visit by an All Progressives Congress (APC) delegation led by Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Director-General of Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign council. Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda and other political figures were also reportedly part of the delegation.
Accounts of the meeting circulating online portray the Emir as urging politicians to focus on Nigerians’ problems rather than their ambitions for political office. However, the Democracy Watch Initiative (DWI) has described reports of a direct rebuke of the APC and Tinubu administration as unverified and politically motivated.
Katsina Emir Video Highlights Insecurity Concerns
In the footage and reports attributed to the meeting, the monarch is said to have urged Yari to recognise the national responsibility attached to his campaign role.
“Politics is not madness,” the Emir reportedly said, stressing that politicians should win public support through persuasion, ideas and meaningful engagement.
The reported comments also focused on insecurity in farming communities, where banditry and kidnappings have disrupted livelihoods and economic activities.
The monarch was quoted as saying that farmers had been prevented from accessing their fields. He also reportedly called on influential northern leaders to speak openly about the region’s difficulties and take responsibility for addressing them.
The Katsina Emir video has attracted attention amid persistent security challenges in Katsina and other North-West states, where criminal attacks have affected farming, education, trade and residents’ movement.
Some online accounts also attributed sharper remarks to the monarch, including criticism of politicians who allegedly seek traditional rulers’ support before elections but become inaccessible afterward.
Another widely circulated claim quoted him as contrasting the government’s Renewed Hope slogan with hunger in Katsina. However, these specific statements remain disputed and should not be treated as independently confirmed.
APC Group Disputes Reports of Emir’s Rebuke
The Democracy Watch Initiative has rejected accounts suggesting that the Emir openly condemned the APC and Tinubu administration during the visit.
In a statement signed by its Deputy National Chairman, Musa Adam, the group said reports of the alleged confrontation lacked independently verifiable evidence.
DWI argued that the visit was a traditional consultation in which Yari sought royal prayers, blessings and advice ahead of the campaign season.
The group said Yari’s delegation had also visited the palaces of the Emirs of Gwandu, Daura and Zaria. It described the engagements as part of established relations between political leaders and traditional institutions.
According to DWI, reports attributing critical remarks to the Katsina monarch relied on unnamed sources without providing sufficient evidence to confirm the claims.
The group urged journalists and members of the public to verify statements attributed to traditional rulers before sharing them.
DWI Defends Government’s Security Response
While rejecting the reported rebuke, DWI acknowledged that insecurity remained a serious national challenge requiring further action.
The group cited President Tinubu’s approval for the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Katsina State. It said the guards would work alongside security agencies to address criminal activity in forested and remote areas.
DWI also pointed to Governor Radda’s commendation of increased deployments of military personnel, police officers and Department of State Services operatives to the state.
However, the group maintained that efforts to tackle banditry required sustained cooperation between federal and state authorities.
The Katsina Emir video controversy has therefore brought renewed attention to the security situation in the North-West, even as the competing accounts of the palace meeting remain contested.
APC Group Cites Economic Indicators
DWI also defended the Tinubu administration’s economic record, arguing that critics should consider official economic figures and government interventions when assessing its performance.
The group cited National Bureau of Statistics figures showing headline inflation falling to 14.63 per cent in September from 15.39 per cent in August.
It also referred to a government announcement of a 30-day petrol discount at NNPC retail stations, with commercial transport operators given priority.
The organisation said such measures should form part of public discussions about the administration’s economic policies. It also maintained that political consultations with traditional rulers did not remove the government’s responsibility to improve living conditions.