The controversy surrounding Ganduje’s statement highlights the complex dynamics of Nigerian politics, particularly regarding zoning and power rotation. As the country prepares for the 2027 presidential election, it remains to be seen how this debate will unfold.

Ganduje had urged northern politicians nursing presidential ambition in 2027 to bury the idea, insisting that President Tinubu would serve two terms.

Apparently reacting to former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who, in a post on his verified X handle, threatened that in 2027, the North would give Tinubu the same treatment meted out to former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

But Ganduje, while hosting leaders and members of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre, PBAT Media Centre, and Tinubu Northern Youth Forum, TNYF, at APC National Secretariat in Abuja, said expectations that the North would produce the President in 2027 should be “perished.”

“When a leader from the northern part of this country was in office for eight years, we advocated that the next president in our party should come from the South”, he stated.

“And luckily enough, we worked very hard with the cooperation of Nigerians. Our President has come from the South and is going, insha’Allah, for a second term in 2027. And then after that, it will be turned to the northern part of this country”.

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‘Dangerous precedent’

However, the statement seems to have provoked stakeholders in the region, who told Sunday Vanguard that what the APC chairman said is a “dangerous precedent.”

The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, said the statement wasn’t surprising, adding that Ganduje was doing the bidding of his “benefactor.”

National President of MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, said: “It is a political statement, and he is representing the party. Whether he likes it or not, the President is the main man for the party, and the benefit he would get comes through the President.

“So, whether he is from the North or wherever, he just has to support the President. It is, therefore, not surprising that, in spite of the Northern resistance for whatsoever reason, he is supporting the President, so it is not surprising.

“However, there are things we need to learn from the behavior of the North. There is this thing they call ‘Takiya.’ It is a holy deceit. It is practiced in the North in some things.

“So, what he says may not exactly be what he meant. So, let’s hope and believe that what he said was what he meant, and that was not a deceit aimed at appeasing those he wants to, with the intention of doing something else.

“This is something our Southern brothers do not seem to know or understand. But for those of us in the North, when one of us says something, we weigh it properly based on the action that might follow.”

‘Disturbing questions’

On his part, National President of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, said Ganduje’s position raised disturbing questions about Nigeria’s democracy.

He said: “Ganduje’s call for politicians from the North to drop any ambition of contesting against Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election raises important questions about the principles of democracy and the right to political participation.

“It is essential to analyze this statement in the context of democratic principles and the right to political participation. In a democratic society, every citizen has the right to contest for political office and present themselves as candidates for election.

“This right is enshrined in the constitution and is a fundamental aspect of a functioning democracy. Ganduje’s call for politicians from the North to refrain from contesting against Tinubu raises concerns about the freedom of political expression and the right to participate in the democratic process.

“By discouraging potential candidates from running for office, Ganduje’s statement could be seen as an attempt to limit the choices available to voters and stifle political competition.

“Such a directive could also be interpreted as an attempt to consolidate power within a particular political faction or region, rather than promoting a fair and open electoral process.

“In a diverse and multi-ethnic country like Nigeria, it is essential that all regions and groups have equal opportunities to participate in the political arena and present their ideas and policies to the electorate.

“It is also worth noting that the 2027 presidential election is still several years away, and it is premature to make such sweeping statements about potential candidates and their eligibility to contest for office.

VANGUARD