The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and other stakeholders attacked the Presidency for stating that President Bola Tinubu would stay in power till 2031.
According to The PUNCH, the ACF admonished the Tinubu administration to focus on delivering good governance to Nigerians, instead of obsessing over the 2027 election.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, stirred the hornet’s nest on Sunday when he urged northern political leaders preparing to run for the 2027 Presidency to put aside their ambitions and wait until 2031 when President Tinubu would have ended his second term.
Speaking on a TVC programme, the SGF stated, “President Tinubu as a southerner should be allowed to have a second term, meaning that those eyeing the Presidency from the North in 2027 should look beyond that year by waiting till 2031.
“If it is the will of God for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to be President of Nigeria, even at the age of 90, he can get it. But he and other northerners eyeing the office now should look beyond 2027.”
However, responding to Akume’s statement, the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, told The PUNCH in an interview in Kaduna on Monday that it was too early to start debating the 2027 Presidency.
Mohammad-Baba emphasised that the ACF won’t take a partisan stance on who should be voted for or against, noting that its primary concern was the wellbeing of the electorate.
“So far, we have not issued any stand one way or the other on the issue. We thought concentration should be on good governance and delivery of services to the electorate,” he said.
While the ACF did not explicitly endorse or reject Akume’s statement, Muhammad-Baba argued that the talk about the 2027 Presidency was a distraction from the more pressing issues facing the country.
He said, “Our position is that it’s too early to debate the 2027 Presidency. We think the focus should be on good governance and the delivery of good dividends of democracy to the people.
“This talk of 2027 is too early, and it’s a distraction to the dialogue that should be taking place. Is democracy paying off for the people? Should the government do something for the people? This is what should preoccupy the minds of Nigerians, not the 2027 Presidency.”
Reacting to Akume’s stance, ex-Vice President Atiku, who lost the 2023 presidential poll to Tinubu, argued that there was a six-year difference in the length of time the North and South have held the Presidency.
Atiku, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, said that by 2027, the South will have had 17 years of leadership.
Atiku stated, “Where, then, does true equity and fairness reside? By the year 2027, the South would have enjoyed 17 years of leadership — eight years under Obasanjo, five years under Jonathan, and four years under Tinubu — while the North would have experienced only 11 years, with Yar’Adua serving three and Buhari eight. This resulted in a disparity of six years between the North and South, casting a shadow over the balance of power.”
“In any case, the power to elect and vote out their government lies firmly with the Nigerian people, entrusted to them upon the government’s ability to prove itself worthy of the people’s ballot. But has the Tinubu government demonstrated that it deserves to be re-elected? The answer, alas, is as clear as the heavens themselves — God forbid.”
The Peoples Democratic Party described 2027 as a rescue mission, adding that no individual could halt another person’s political ambition.
PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, slammed Akume for attempting to undermine the ambitions of others for the benefit of President Tinubu.
In an interview with The PUNCH, Osadolor stated, “Such an unfortunate statement could only have been made by someone benefiting from the maladministration of the current Presidency, as led by President Bola Tinubu.
“I won’t blame George Akume; he has always lived a privileged life, from being a senator, governor, and now the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. So, I am sure he’s one of those who have alienated President Tinubu from the realities with lies and praise singing. They have disconnected the President from the current realities in Nigeria.
“I won’t blame George Akume because I don’t know when he last visited the market in Benue, not to mention other parts of Nigeria, as he lives on taxpayers’ money and is unaware that people are suffering.”
Osadolor stated that by 2027, Nigerians would have the opportunity to restore and rebuild the country.
He stated, “It is most unfortunate for anyone to want to shut down the ambition of another, irrespective of what part of the country the person is from. This is a democracy, and as democrats, we are all committed to good governance in this country. We are committed to having the best of us represent all of us. Nobody can stop another person’s ambition.
“No person has the right or should arrogate such powers to themselves simply because they are benefiting from one corner or another of the system. Come 2027, it will be a mission to rescue, rebuild, and revive Nigeria.”
