The politics of the 2027 general elections may have started as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, has taken a cursory look at the nation’s political field and told northern politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, matter-of-factly, to freeze their presidential ambition till 2031.
Akume gave the advice on Television Continental, TVC’s prime time political programme, Politics Today, on Sunday, December 8, 2024.
The SGF, who anchored the call on the need to preserve national unity, underscored the importance of allowing his principal, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the South by extension, to finish his two terms before power returns to the north.
Warning against political instability, Akume advised northern leaders to place the nation above their ambition, prioritize national cohesion, and avoid any action that could disrupt Nigeria’s balance of power
Akume’s advice, The Cable reported, may have been spurred by the recent appearance of campaign posters that featured former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in prominent locations across Kano State, a development that suggested a potential presidential bid in 2027. The SGF, therefore, stressed the importance of allowing President Bola Tinubu to complete two terms which the constitution allows.
“It is not yet the time for the north to throw its hat in the ring,” Akume declares. “Tinubu, as a southerner, should be allowed to serve for eight years. From there, power can return to the north.”
The SGF, also a former two-term governor of Benue State, emphasised the need for those nursing a 2027 presidential ambition to place national unity and stability above personal desires, no matter how legitimate, warning against premature moves that could destabilise Nigeria’s political balance.
“My advice, and this has been consistent, is that we should not rock the boat,” Akume continued. “Let power reside in the south for eight years. To do otherwise, honestly, is to destroy this country.”
Though the SGF acknowledged the long-standing ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, he urged him to be a little more patient, saying:
“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.”
