2027: Akume urges Atiku to respect North-South power rotation for national cohesion, fairness
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other Northern presidential aspirants to respect the North-South power rotation…
Power rotation between Nigeria's North and South has been an unwritten but closely guarded convention within the political establishment since the return to democracy in 1999, intended to ensure that no single region monopolises the presidency and that all parts of the country feel a sense of inclusion in national leadership. The arrangement, often championed most forcefully by the ruling party, became a live issue again after President Bola Tinubu, a Southerner, completed one term, with many Northern politicians and interest groups arguing it is now the South's turn to retain the office through 2027, while some Northern aspirants, including Atiku Abubakar, have signalled interest in contesting regardless.
Akume's remarks, coming from a senior Northern figure who also serves as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, add weight to a broader push by pro-Tinubu voices to frame a Southern second term as a matter of equity rather than mere political strategy. The intervention is likely to be read as part of jostling ahead of the 2027 election, with critics of zoning arguing it has no constitutional backing and should not override competence or popular choice, while supporters insist it remains vital for national cohesion and stability in a diverse federation.