Presidency Warns North Against Undermining Nigeria’s Stability for One Man’s Ambition
The Presidency has called on political leaders and residents of Northern Nigeria to support the completion of the South’s eight-year presidential tenure, warning that abandoning the informal power-sharing arrangement could undermine national unity and political stability.
The appeal was made by Hajya Rahma Abdulmajid, Personal Assistant to the President on Radio and Broadcast in the Office of the Vice President, during the grand inauguration and strategic media awards ceremony of Matan Arewa 4 Tinubu Again (MATA) in Kano on Sunday.
Abdulmajid described the North-South power rotation arrangement as an understanding built on reciprocity, fairness and inclusion, which she said had contributed to political stability since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.
She maintained that the arrangement was not a special concession to either region but a framework intended to ensure that all parts of the country had an opportunity to participate in presidential leadership.
According to her, the agreement emerged from consultations among prominent political figures in Kaduna following the end of military rule.
She recalled the involvement of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the discussions, citing remarks attributed to Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
Other prominent figures she identified as contributors to the arrangement included Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Dr Chuba Okadigbo, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Dr Alex Ekwueme and Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo.
Presidency Recalls History of Power Rotation
Explaining the evolution of the arrangement, Abdulmajid noted that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, from the South, served two terms between 1999 and 2007 before power shifted to the North under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Yar’Adua’s death in 2010 interrupted his tenure, leading his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, from the South, to assume the presidency.
She said the North subsequently returned to power in 2015 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, who completed two terms in 2023.
According to Abdulmajid, these developments demonstrated the importance of maintaining the informal agreement, arguing that the North had already enjoyed eight years in office under Buhari.
She insisted that political stakeholders should uphold the principle even when it does not favour their immediate ambitions.
“The agreement is reciprocal; it is a two-way street. The North has already reaped the full benefits after eight solid years under Buhari. You cannot eat your cake and still demand another man’s cake,” she said.
The presidential aide warned that abandoning the arrangement could weaken trust between Nigeria’s regions and complicate future negotiations over political leadership.
Atiku’s Position on Zoning Criticised
Abdulmajid also criticised Atiku Abubakar’s reported position on zoning, arguing that political leaders should not reject power-sharing arrangements when they no longer align with their personal interests.
She recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had supported Buhari’s emergence in 2015 when there were calls for power to return to the North after Jonathan’s administration.
She maintained that the North’s long-term interests would be better protected by sustaining a system that promotes inclusion and preserves confidence in future power transitions.
“Shall we sacrifice Nigeria’s stability for one man’s ambition? The North’s genuine interest is not served by that; rather, it is stable inclusion,” she stated.
Abdulmajid urged northern stakeholders to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, describing a second term for the president as consistent with the principle of allowing the South to complete its current tenure.
She said respecting the arrangement would demonstrate fairness, political maturity and a commitment to peaceful coexistence.]
Kano Governor Supports Continuity
Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf also backed the call for political continuity, stressing that Nigeria’s unity depended on fairness and inclusivity.
The governor, represented by his Director-General of Media and Publicity, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, warned that abandoning the existing rotational understanding could place the North in an unfavourable political position.
He encouraged political stakeholders in the region to maintain the arrangement and support Tinubu for another term.
Badaru Lists Projects in Northern Nigeria
Former Jigawa State Governor and immediate past Minister of Defence, Mohammad Abubakar Badaru, defended the Tinubu administration, claiming that its Renewed Hope agenda had delivered considerable benefits to Northern Nigeria.
He highlighted several road projects, including the 88-kilometre Zuba-Jere section and the 81-kilometre Abuja-Kaduna section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway, which he said were commissioned in October 2026.
Other projects he mentioned included the 77-kilometre Kaduna-Pambeguwa road, the Yakasai-Badume-Damargu-Marken Zalli roads in Kano State, and the Jimeta Bridge in Yola.
On healthcare, Badaru listed the Gadon Kaya Primary Healthcare Centre in Kano, Polio Emergency Centres in Katsina, Kano and Sokoto, a pharmacy laboratory at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, and a 50-bed mental health centre at the University of Maiduguri.
He also cited an infertility centre at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi, ongoing improvements at Bichi General Hospital and the deployment of 79 compressed natural gas-powered ambulances.
The comments come as political stakeholders intensify discussions ahead of the 2027 general elections, with zoning, regional representation and the future of Nigeria’s power-sharing arrangement emerging as key political issues.
