Former federal lawmaker, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, has tackled Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for submitting that any northerner who held public office in the past 20 years owes the region an apology for its backwardness.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, Na’Allah, a two-time Senator for Kebbi South in the National Assembly, described the governor’s remarks as “regrettable,” noting that while he would ordinarily have ignored such a comment, the seriousness of the issue and its potential to influence public discourse compelled him to respond.

The governor had, in a recent live programme, told northern politicians, particularly those who have held political office in the last 20 years to apologise to the North over its backwardness.

Na’Allah disagreed, saying Sani ought to be specific about those who needed to apologise for their failure.

“I have had the rare privilege of serving as a two-term member of the House of Representatives and a two-term member of the Senate. During these years, I rendered my service to Nigeria – and by extension, the North – with honesty, sincerity, and an unwavering commitment to inclusiveness,” he said.