Eli Obaje Abuja
Former Head of State Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has called on Northern leaders to set aside their differences and come together to halt what he sees as a deepening decline in the region.
Speaking during an address this morning, he struck a somber tone as he reflected on the state of Northern Nigeria. Babangida pointed to the steady loss of respected elders, religious scholars, and political figures who once served as the region’s moral and political anchors. 
He warned that with their passing, the North is gradually losing the voices that provided guidance, stability, and restraint during turbulent times. The absence of that generation, he suggested, has left a vacuum that younger leaders have yet to fill collectively.
In a rare personal moment, the 83-year-old former leader acknowledged that age and declining strength have limited what he can do. He told the audience he was unsure if he would live beyond this year, framing his remarks as a final appeal rather than a political intervention.
“We have done our part, and our time is gradually coming to an end,” Babangida said, his voice heavy with emotion. The statement underscored his sense that the responsibility now rests with the current crop of Northern leaders.
He also revisited one of the defining decisions of his time in office: the relocation of Nigeria’s Federal Capital from Lagos to Abuja. Babangida argued that the move was made deliberately to bring development closer to the North and strengthen its position within the federation.
The former ruler closed with a direct plea for unity, urging political, religious, and traditional leaders to prioritize the region’s future over personal and factional disputes. He stressed that internal division would only accelerate the decline he described.
“We have no other region like this one,” he concluded, calling on those in positions of influence to act before the opportunity slips away.
