A northern socio-political group, the Northern Patriots, has called on Nigerians to immediately begin the process of recalling all members of the National Assembly, accusing them of complicity in what it described as “a grand betrayal of national trust” and the “systematic marginalisation” of the northern region.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its president, Alhaji Babagida Muazu, the group alleged that the current legislature has become “a rubber stamp in the hands of a few powerful interests within the executive arm,” allowing public funds to be diverted into projects outside the 2025 Appropriation Act, most of which are concentrated in the South-West region.
“The National Assembly has sold out Nigerians for a cup of garri. We are witnessing the most docile and directionless set of lawmakers since 1999. They have surrendered the powers of oversight, failed to defend the sanctity of the Appropriation Act, and chosen to look the other way while a sectional agenda is being executed under their watch,” Muazu said.
“We have obtained credible intelligence indicating that several new infrastructure and social projects currently being funded by the Federal Government were never approved by the National Assembly but have been deliberately located in the southern part of the country, particularly the South-West, under a covert political strategy to divert national resources for the benefit of a few.
“It is a scandal of monumental proportions that the Federal Government is implementing projects not captured in the 2025 Appropriation Act. These projects, worth billions of naira, are being executed outside the budgetary framework and are concentrated in one region of the country. Yet the very lawmakers who are constitutionally empowered to check these abuses have gone silent, perhaps because their own pockets are being lined.”
Muazu said the Northern Patriots considered the silence of northern legislators, in particular, as “a betrayal of the mandate of their people,” accusing them of failing to challenge what he described as “a clear attempt to economically isolate the North”.
“Instead of defending their constituencies, these lawmakers have turned themselves into errand boys of the executive. They attend oversight visits that end with envelopes instead of accountability. They pass budgets they don’t read. And now, they are watching as the government executes off-budget projects that favour a section of the country at the expense of millions of northern citizens,” Muazu said.
The group said it was mobilising civil society, traditional institutions, and youth movements across the 19 northern states to begin the process of recalling their representatives at both the Senate and House of Representatives.
“We cannot continue to tolerate this level of irresponsibility. The North will not be treated as a colony of silence while others feed fat on our collective resources. Every senator and member of the House of Representatives who has failed to raise a voice against this injustice must be recalled. We are taking this message to every ward, every local government, and every emirate council,” Muazu declared.
He accused the leadership of both the Senate and the House of Representatives of “presiding over a compromised parliament that no longer represents the people but the privileges of a few”.
“The National Assembly has become a marketplace for personal gain, not a sanctuary for national interest. There is no separation of powers anymore; what exists today is a collaboration of silence. They have betrayed the trust of Nigerians and should be held accountable,” Muazu said.
The Northern Patriots said it would be releasing a detailed report in the coming weeks highlighting specific projects allegedly being executed outside the approved budget, as well as the federal agencies involved in what it termed “this dangerous distortion of fiscal order”.
“The situation is too grave to ignore. The legislature is asleep while the executive rewrites the budget by stealth. If this continues, there will be nothing left to check or balance. The people must take back their democracy before it is completely sold off,” Muazu declared.
He urged Nigerians across all regions to “wake up and defend the republic,” insisting that this call was not about regional rivalry but about restoring integrity and accountability in governance.
“This is not just a northern issue—it is a national disgrace. But it is also a wake-up call. The lawmakers who failed to defend Nigeria’s unity, fairness, and transparency have forfeited their legitimacy. The people must now act,” Muazu said.