Prominent northern political voices and the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) have rejected a recent call by All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, urging northern politicians to abandon their 2027 presidential ambitions and allow President Bola Tinubu to complete a second term.
Ganduje made the statement on Tuesday while addressing a delegation from the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre and the Tinubu Northern Youth Forum at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja. He argued that since a northerner had previously ruled for eight years, it was only fair for Tinubu, a southerner, to have the same opportunity.
“Our president has come from the south and is going, Insha Allah, for a second term come 2027. And after that, it will be the turn of the northern part of this country,” Ganduje declared.
However, his statement sparked strong reactions from northern leaders, who dismissed his position as a personal opinion rather than a collective decision of the region.
ACF and Northern Leaders Disagree
The ACF, a key socio-political group in the North, rejected Ganduje’s statement, insisting that no single individual or party leader could dictate the region’s political choices.
Speaking to reporters, ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said, “The presidency has become something like a cult, where allegiance to the president is expected above all else. But voters cannot be influenced by force. It is up to them to endorse, reject, or modify Ganduje’s opinion.”
He also warned that politicians should focus on delivering results rather than relying on regional loyalty.
“What will sell President Tinubu is not whether he will contest or not, but his policies and their impact on the people. If the people accept his policies, fine. If not, they will vote otherwise,” Muhammad-Baba stated.
El-Rufai and Others Warn Against Tinubu’s Reelection
Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, also weighed in by sharing an opinion piece that warned Tinubu could face the same fate as former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was denied reelection in 2015 due to loss of northern support.
The opinion, titled ‘2027: South West, Tinubu’s Supporters Playing with Fire – Part 1’, argued that Tinubu’s relationship with the North had deteriorated less than two years into his presidency.
Echoing this sentiment, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, said northern political forces were already mobilizing against Tinubu’s reelection.
“The North is seriously mobilizing with a consensus that Bola Tinubu must give way in the 2027 election. There’s no argument about that. If we continue with these policies for another four years, northern Nigeria will become one large refugee camp,” Lawal said.
Lawal emphasized that the North was not necessarily demanding that the next president come from their region but that they wanted a leader who would govern fairly.
“If we can get a good southerner that can rule with equity, we are okay. This is not about elite consensus. It is about the masses and what they are saying at the grassroots,” he explained.
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Bauchi Governor Rejects Ganduje’s Appeal
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State also dismissed Ganduje’s plea, asserting that he remained the right candidate for the presidency in 2027.
Speaking through his Commissioner for Natural Resources Development, Maiwada Bello, the governor described Ganduje’s statement as “silly” and urged Nigerian youths to rally behind him.
“No other administration in the country has given young people as many opportunities to serve in high-level positions as mine. We are committed to building a government that reflects the energy and innovation of the youth,” Bello stated.
APC and PDP Leaders React
A former APC National Vice Chairman (North-West), Mallam Salihu Lukman, backed El-Rufai’s position, insisting that Tinubu’s policies were not favoring the North.
“El-Rufai is not saying anything different from what I have been saying all this while. The only difference is that he is talking for the North while I talk for the whole country,” Lukman said.
Similarly, Senator Abba Moro of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) observed that these political statements were part of early positioning for the 2027 elections.
“There are several fireworks going on in the political space. These are attempts at alignment and realignment. With time, the picture will become clearer,” Moro said.
Some Leaders Defend Tinubu
However, not all northern voices opposed Tinubu’s reelection bid. A former Secretary-General of the ACF, Anthony Sani, argued that the North does not vote as a bloc and should not be assumed to be against Tinubu.
“The North can be united politically on issues of real concern, but when it comes to partisan politics, it does not act in unison,” Sani explained.
Similarly, APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, dismissed claims that Tinubu had brought poverty to the North.
“It is laughable to claim that Tinubu is responsible for poverty in the North. The idea that El-Rufai and others speak for the entire region is also misleading. They are only advancing their own personal and political interests,” Basiru stated.