Kaduna Governor Uba Sani says northern political leaders who wielded power at both the central and sub-national levels over the past 20 years have failed the region.

In an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, Mr Sani lamented widespread insecurity, poverty, and other problems in the region, berating the region’s political leaders.

“I made it clear to everyone that, first of all, those of us leaders, we should look at ourselves in the mirror, particularly those at the helm of affairs in this country from Northern Nigeria in the last 20 years, we should look at ourselves in the mirror and accept the blame that we failed our region. We should apologise,” Mr Sani said.

He added, “It is important we come together; we have a common problem and we must proffer a common solution.”

The governor berated political stakeholders for criticising President Bola Tinubu, of southern extraction, but failing to do the same when a fellow northerner is in power.

Mr Sani said, “Most times, we northerners lose our voices when a northern (president) leader is leading our country.”

He added, “We cannot be sitting, blaming everyone, but we always shift the blame, all the time, to people that are not from our zone.”

Mr Sani’s remarks echo his earlier criticism of northern political leaders during an interactive session organised by the Ahmadu Bello Foundation in Kaduna earlier this week.

Prominent political figures of northern extraction in the past 20 years include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, former Vice President Namadi Sambo, the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Others include former FCT Minister and Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Jigawa, Sule Lamido, and other state governors.