By Rauf Oyewole
A socio-politcal group, Nigeria Forward (NF) has urged Northern Nigeria to drop its guest for power in 2027, saying that the region should allow a southern leader to have his two term tenure, having had eight years rule between 2015 and 2023.
The group made the call in Abuja during the formal unveiling of Forward Nigeria on Monday. The Co-convener of the group, also the Kano State Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya.
Waiya explained that the North should respect the gentleman's agreement of power rotation between the south and north. The Group is advocating for Tinubu’s eight years in office. According to him, since 1999, the North-South power rotation has been maintained between the two regions with a view to fostering national unity and even development across the country.
FN urged political stakeholders in Northern Nigeria to respect the principle of power rotation and support President Bola Tinubu, from the South, to complete the eight-year presidential tenure. The Co-coverner said returning the presidency to the North after only one term would undermine the principle of power rotation and risk reopening sectional tensions that have historically shaped Nigeria’s presidential politics.
Waiya insisted that allowing Tinubu to complete the eight years would provide political continuity and give his government time to consolidate its policies, programmes and projects initiated for the overall progress and development of Nigeria.
According to Waiya, “the Tinubu administration inherited enormous economic and security challenges in 2023 and had since introduced measures which were putting the country on a different trajectory.”
He cited local government autonomy, increased financial resources accruing to sub-national governments and moves towards establishing state police structures as reforms that could strengthen governance and security.
Waiya disclosed that Kano State had already established a state police implementation committee, which he said could contribute to job creation and improved security when fully implemented.
He nevertheless cautioned against reducing the challenges of Northern Nigeria to presidential politics, arguing that tackling poverty required the participation of citizens, state and local governments and other stakeholders. “Democracy is a social contract,” he said.
Waiya described "Nigeria Forward " as a bridge between policy and people as well as a platform for bottom to top citizens engagement insisting that the NF was not owned by any particular political party but has been dedicated to all Nigerians. He called on citizens to rally around the national interest and preserve national unity.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology and co-convener of the movement, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, said the Federal Government’s reforms were designed to move Nigeria from infrastructure and connectivity to production, jobs and prosperity.
Udeh said Nigeria Forward would bridge the gap between government policies and citizens by providing more information on projects, investments, opportunities and the impact of government programmes in communities.
He said Nigeria’s development story, particularly in the North, should not be reduced to political slogans, urging citizens to examine what was being built, where projects were located, the problems they were solving and who stood to benefit.
The minister said infrastructure should be judged by its practical impact, noting that roads should connect farmers to markets while railways should reduce the cost of transporting goods. He also identified energy and digital connectivity as important to expanding opportunities for young Nigerians.
Udeh described the administration’s development trajectory as “reform to infrastructure, infrastructure to connectivity, connectivity to production, production to jobs and jobs to prosperity,” and called on Nigerians to support Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 to consolidate the reforms.
He urged Nigeria Forward members to make evidence, inclusiveness, innovation and national unity the foundation of their activities, saying the platform’s message of “Together We Move Nigeria Forward” should translate into a commitment to service, citizenship and national development.
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