Intro/Foreword:
In today’s media-driven world, it’s easy for narratives to be shaped by emotions and misleading rhetoric rather than facts. The 2023 presidential election saw its fair share of misinformation, and one of the most persistent falsehoods is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory was not heavily supported by the North. This piece aims to set the record straight by presenting irrefutable data, reminding us all that in the complex landscape of Nigerian politics, the North’s role in Tinubu’s success cannot be overstated. It’s time to let the facts speak for themselves, beyond the noise.
In every political cycle, narratives are often shaped not by facts but by sentiments, biases, and strategic misinformation.
One such narrative following the 2023 presidential elections is the false claim that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory was not predominantly backed by the North.
This assertion — fueled mostly by political area boys and agenda-driven commentators — aims to diminish the undeniable influence and contribution of the northern electorate.
But history must be set straight — with data, not distortion.
Let’s begin with the figures from the North Central (what some mischievously call the “Middle Belt” to sever it from the core North):
- Nasarawa: 172,922 votes
- Niger: 375,183 votes
- Benue: 310,468 votes
- FCT Abuja: 90,902 votes
- Kogi: 240,751 votes
- Kwara: 263,572 votes
- Plateau: 307,195 votes
Total for North Central: 1,760,993 votes.
Yet here’s where the deceit begins:
Some would rather isolate the Middle Belt — by religion, ethnicity, or geography — just to water down the North’s overwhelming contribution.
But even if, for argument’s sake, we exclude the North Central, the numbers remain crystal clear.
The North West and North East alone delivered a staggering 3,837,693 votes to Tinubu — more than the entire Southern regions combined.
For comparison:
- South West (Tinubu’s own region): 2,279,407 votes
- South East and South South combined: 916,633 votes
Grand total for all Southern votes: 3,196,040.
The North West alone delivered 2,652,235 votes — surpassing even the heartland of Tinubu's political base, the South West.
What does this mean?
It means that even with every creative attempt to separate the Middle Belt from the North, the core North (North West and North East) still outperformed the South in terms of votes cast for Tinubu.
The North delivered over 5.5 million votes — more than 60% of Tinubu’s entire winning tally.
No amount of propaganda, bitterness, or historical revisionism can change this hard truth.
Those trying to separate “chaff from stone” only end up highlighting the North’s massive electoral strength and loyalty.
When next someone peddles the falsehood that "the North didn't make Tinubu president,"
remind them of the numbers.
Let the facts silence the fiction.
We are not just citizens — we are custodians of truth and history.
-Shamsudeen Ibrahim
#Shams