KANO — In the bustling markets of Sabon Gari and the quiet tea spots of Kaduna, a whispered question is turning into a loud roar: Where is the City Boy?
For months, the City Boy Movement (CBM), the high-octane youth wing led by the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu, has been making waves across Southern Nigeria. From flashy empowerment summits in Owerri to business grants in Lagos, the movement has branded itself as the ultimate vehicle for “youth goodies.”
But as the heat of the 2027 political cycle begins to shimmer on the horizon, a growing segment of Northern youth feels left out in the cold. The absence of the same “cohesive campaign” seen in the South has birthed a narrative of neglect—and for some, a suspicion of outright hostility.
Rice for the North, Tools for the South?
The disparity in “gifts” has become a flashpoint. While Southern chapters of the movement are seen distributing laptops, sewing machines, and startup capital, the interventions in the North have largely remained “stomach infrastructure.”
“Are we only deserving of palliatives?” asked Malam Aminu, a youth leader in Kano. “When Seyi Tinubu goes to the East, it’s about entrepreneurship. When the movement comes North, it’s about bags of rice and cartons of noodles. It feels like they believe the North isn’t worth the effort of real investment.”
Movement insiders deny this, pointing to the recent appointment of Suleiman Abubakar Magaji as the Zonal Coordinator for the North Central. They argue that the movement is “structuring” rather than “ignoring.” Yet, the optics remain stubborn. To many, the CBM looks like a coastal club that only remembers the Savannah when it’s time to vote.
The “Crush the North” Theory
The perceived absence of the City Boys is being viewed through an even darker lens by supporters of sidelined Northern elites. In the corridors of power, the ongoing legal and political battles involving Nasir El-Rufai, Bala Mohammed, and former Attorney General Abubakar Malami are being framed as a coordinated purge.
“It’s a two-pronged attack,” claims a political analyst based in Abuja. “On one hand, you have the EFCC going after the ‘Northern giants,’ and on the other, you have a youth movement that seems terrified of engaging the Northern grassroots. Most Northerners now believe this administration is out to crush the region’s political influence once and for all.”
Is Seyi Tinubu Afraid?
The question of whether Seyi Tinubu is “afraid” of Northern youths is frequently debated on Hausa-language social media. Critics suggest the movement avoids the North because it cannot control the narrative there as easily as it does in the South-West.
The Northern youth, often more radicalized by economic hardship and security concerns, represent a “unpredictable” demographic that a “City Boy” brand might find difficult to charm with mere slogans.
The Counter-Narrative
The Presidency and pro-Tinubu groups, such as those led by Bello Matawalle, insist this “hate” narrative is a fabrication by disgruntled politicians. They point to the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development as the ultimate “gift” to the North—a structural reform intended to solve the region’s oldest economic and security crisis.
“The President doesn’t hate the North; he is reforming it,” a movement spokesperson recently stated. “The City Boy Movement will reach every corner, but we will not be rushed by those who want to use the North as a pawn.”
As 2026 unfolds, the stakes couldn’t be higher. If the City Boy Movement fails to bring its “goodies” past the Niger River in a meaningful way, it risks confirming the North’s deepest fears: that the “City” they speak of has no room for the hinterland.
