As the 2027 presidential election approaches, President Bola Tinubu has reportedly initiated efforts to win back the support of northern politicians who have expressed dissatisfaction with his administration.
A northerner politician who spoke with Punch on condition of anonymity disclosed that Vice President, Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje have been tasked with reaching out to aggrieved northern stakeholders.
This move comes after several northern political figures voiced concerns about the Tinubu administration’s perceived neglect of northern interests.
Key issues raised by northern politicians include alleged marginalization in federal appointments and governance.
These concerns have led to significant discontent, with some northern leaders openly expressing regret for supporting Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
The source said, “Some political bigwigs were interested in certain positions but were not given them, and they have resorted to working against Asiwaju’s return, which is not good. But that does not bring any fear to Asiwaju’s camp. To be a little more open, Vice President Kashim Shettima, the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, and I are all from the North.
“We are reaching out to the aggrieved stakeholders, and we are also accessible. We are critical stakeholders who hold ground for Asiwaju in the North. We will reach out to everyone; it is a collective effort.”
Recall that last week, the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, had also lent his voice to the agitation for a northern leader in 2027, vowing to jettison his presidential ambition if former President Goodluck Jonathan agreed to contest.
According to him, the former president has the requisite experience to revamp the economy and would do a good job if given a second mandate to manage the country.
But a former Minister of Communication and prominent APC chieftain, Adebayo Shittu, said Nigerians should be wary of such moves.
He said, “If you are calling for a change in government, you still have to wait until the current one run its term. Now, you are even calling on Jonathan to come back. He, just like others, is free to return and contest election in 2027. But certainly, there won’t be any election before then and there cannot be any change of government. If Jonathan has done very well, Nigerians won’t have voted him out after spending about six years in office. Tell me, if the PDP had done very well, would the people have voted them out? Nigerians only voted them out after their term expired.”
A former lawmaker who represented Kaduna Central between 2015 and 2019, Senator Shehu Sani, warned against the desperation of some northern elites to return to power.
He said, “If President Tinubu succeeds in addressing the security situation, education, and poverty in Northern Nigeria, no northern elite will stop him from being re-elected in 2027.
“The desperation to return to power in 2027 by some northern political elites is not in the interest of the North but is driven by personal reasons, as some of them have been schemed out. So, they often turn to a sectional agenda when their own personal interests are affected.”
Speaking with Punch, a former Minister of State for Works and National Coordinator of South-West Agenda for Asiwaju, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, said Tinubu had “sufficient loyalists on his side to confront any opposition coming from any angle.”
“I believe that by the time we approach 2027, Nigerians will know that the president will win his second term as president,” he added.
