2027: Respect power rotation, allow South complete 8 years, Akume tells North
By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA: Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Senator George Akume, has called on northern politicians to respect the power rotation arrangement between the North and the South and allow the…
The zoning arrangement between Nigeria's North and South, an unwritten but long-observed convention within the ruling party and broader political establishment, has shaped presidential succession since the return to democracy in 1999. It holds that power should rotate between the two regions, typically in two-term (eight-year) cycles, as a mechanism for managing Nigeria's ethnic and regional diversity and ensuring no single zone dominates the presidency indefinitely. The principle has no constitutional backing, however, which has historically left it vulnerable to internal party disputes whenever a sitting president's zone nears the end of its turn.
Akume's remarks, as reported across the outlets, come amid early positioning by politicians from the North who are reportedly eyeing the 2027 presidential race before the South completes its current eight-year run. While Vanguard, ThisDay and Channels TV agree on the SGF's core message — that the rotation arrangement should be respected for the sake of national unity — none of the reports detail which northern aspirants he was referring to, nor whether his comments reflect an official position of the presidency or the ruling party on zoning for 2027.