Northern leaders under the aegis of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) have rejected a call by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, for the North to wait until 2031 before contesting the presidency.
The decision comes after Ganduje urged the North to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, citing fairness as the reason since a northern president, Muhammadu Buhari, had completed two terms.
However, the northern leaders have dismissed Ganduje’s statement, emphasizing that the region cannot be coerced into re-electing President Tinubu.
Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, described Ganduje’s statement as a reflection of the presidency’s “cult-like” nature, where total allegiance is expected.
Muhammad-Baba stressed that voters cannot be influenced by force, adding that the electorate has realized that past promises, including anti-corruption and renewed hope, have not been fulfilled.
“He or she or party members cannot influence voters by force. So, what he said was an opinion, and it’s up to the voters to endorse, reject, or modify it. In 2015, we were sold a dummy of anti-corruption. We were sold a dummy of many things, and people have realized that it wasn’t true. Then, of course, the Renewed Hope came in 2023, and the hope is turning into a nightmare,” Muhammad-Baba stated.
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is also another northern figure who has also expressed doubts about Tinubu’s chances.
The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress hinted that the president’s relationship with the North has deteriorated significantly. El-Rufai warned that Tinubu could face a similar fate to former President Goodluck Jonathan, who lost re-election in 2015.
