2027: Atiku is North’s No. 1 enemy for running against Tinubu — George Akume

As the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) flagged off its presidential campaign on Saturday in Kaduna, Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Senator George Akume, declared that any northerner seeking to contest the 2027 presidential election is an enemy of the region.

Former vice president Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress ADC is the only prominent northern politician seeking to wrestle power from incumbent President Bola Tinubu in the next year’s presidential contest.

This was as he reminded Northerners that the agreement on power rotation between the North and the South was reached in Kaduna State to keep the country together.

His spokesman, Yomi Odunuga, in a statement on Saturday, said the SGF spoke at a pre-campaign meeting with a large crowd of Benue State indigenes residing in Kaduna.

“Remember that it was in this same Kaduna State that we agreed on power rotation between the North and the South. You cannot doubt the credentials of those that reached this agreement at that time, and it was done to keep this country together. We agreed on power shift, and that is what has kept this country going. That is what has retained our territorial integrity,” Akume said.

On that basis, he declared that any Northerner seeking to contest the 2027 presidential election is an enemy of the North, insisting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains the right candidate to lead Nigeria beyond 2027.

“Anybody who is from the North and running for the presidency is an enemy of the North. Don’t allow that pretender to deceive you. It is not yet our turn. The North’s turn is in 2031. Prepare to vote for Tinubu. Do not allow anyone to destroy the country because of a vaunting personal ambition,” he said.

The SGF urged the North to back Tinubu’s re-election bid and wait until 2031 before seeking to return to the presidency. He warned that individual political ambitions should not be allowed to undermine the region’s collective interests.

Akume, a former Governor of Benue State, urged Northerners to remain united and resist political manoeuvres capable of weakening the region’s influence. He cautioned against attempts to divide them along political, religious and personal lines, and recalled past political disagreements among Nigerian leaders, warning against repeating mistakes that could weaken the North in national politics.

He said the North stands to benefit more from supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition than from allowing individual political interests to create divisions ahead of the next general elections.

Defending the president’s record, the SGF said Tinubu has been fair to all in appointments and does not favour one religion over another.

“Let us remember that the President has been fair to all in terms of appointments and others. He doesn’t favour one religion over the other. Just look at the figures. So be careful about what people tell you,” he said.

Akume also told his audience that the president has shown his love for Benue State through significant projects.

“Let nobody deceive you; Asiwaju loves Benue, and he has displayed that in the number of significant projects the Federal Government is carrying out simultaneously in the state. These projects are diverse in healthcare, roads, education and others. This is being replicated throughout the federation. For example, in the area of education, over 65 per cent of NELFUND has been accessed, and most of them are from the North,” he said.

Apparently taking a swipe at Atiku, he said, “Forget that other one making noise that he was going to remove fuel subsidy. He is always flip-flopping. He says something today and changes gear the next minute.”

The SGF praised Governor Uba Sani and called for his return to office.

“Kaduna State is a historic city that gave us meaning and purpose. So, this is your home too, as Benue State citizens living here. The present governor, Senator Uba Sani, believes in that vision of Saudauna. He is a great man. I want to appeal to you that there is none like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

“I was the governor of Benue State, and the Fulanis were there. It is about leadership. If Asiwaju was not a good leader, I would not tell you otherwise. I will still come to Kaduna to speak with you. Your governor is a good man, and he has done well for this state. Let us return him to power too,” he said.

The SGF also stressed the need for national unity, peaceful coexistence and cooperation among Nigeria’s diverse ethnic and religious groups and encouraged the preservation of cultural identity and traditions as a means of promoting understanding among communities.

“I believe you are here because you believe in me and because you want to see your son, and that is me in flesh and blood,” he told the gathering.

Those who accompanied Akume included a former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Saminu Turaki; Dame Pauline Tallen; Senator Abu Ibrahim; the Minister of Water Resources, Prof. Joseph Utsev; and the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu.

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