…as Akume Backs Rotational Presidency.
ABUJA, NIGERIA – The iNews Times reports that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has thrown his weight behind Nigeria’s rotational presidency principle, declaring that the northern region will not be eligible to produce the country’s next president until 2031, not 2027.
Akume made this assertion while addressing a cross-section of leaders and citizens at the Government-Citizen Engagement forum organized by the Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation at Arewa House, Kaduna. His comments reignite the national debate around power rotation, a critical balancing act underpinning Nigeria’s political stability since the return to democracy in 1999.
“Let me share with you what our leaders did in 1999, pre-Jos Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They recognised, and rightly too, that the only way to ensure our unity and territorial integrity was to entrench rotational presidency between the South and North,” Akume declared.
He paid tribute to the architects of this founding political pact, including Chief Solomon Lar, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Shehu Musa, Abubakar Rimi, Prof. Suleman Kumo, Isaac Shaahu, and Prof. Jerry Gana, saying their foresight had ensured two decades of relative political stability.
“By this conception, the North, the region that is so dear to me, will be eligible for the presidency in 2031, not 2027. Nigeria will not cease to exist. But we need patience to arrive at our turn,” Akume emphasized.
Though not constitutional, the rotational presidency remains a longstanding political understanding between Nigeria’s six geo-political zones to alternate power between the North and South–a strategy aimed at managing the country’s complex ethnic, regional, and religious diversity.
Akume urged Nigerians to remain steadfast in unity and patience, saying, “Let us walk this path together, with faith in our country and renewed hope in our shared future.”
He also took the opportunity to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for what he described as bold reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the government is tackling long-standing issues in security, infrastructure, and economic recovery.
“From the onset of this administration, President Tinubu adopted bold and foundational reforms to stabilize and grow the Nigerian economy. Among the steps, he unified the exchange rate, which enhanced transparency in Forex management and boosted investor confidence,” Akume stated.
On infrastructure, he highlighted key national projects including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, and extensive rail development projects, saying these reflect the government’s scale of ambition and commitment to national transformation.
He acknowledged the pains caused by subsidy removal but insisted it was a necessary sacrifice. “The removal of fuel subsidy, though painful, has been a necessary reform that saved trillions of naira. The savings are now being redirected into critical infrastructure and human development,” the SGF explained.
Addressing youth development, Akume revealed that over 400,000 students have benefitted from the Student Loan Act, with an estimated ₦53 billion already disbursed, while young Nigerians now occupy key strategic positions in government.
He concluded by honouring Sir Ahmadu Bello, describing the late premier of Northern Nigeria as a phenomenal patriot who believed in an “indivisible Nigeria” and exemplified “compassion, wisdom, selflessness and integrity.”
The forum, themed “Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizen Engagement for National Development”, featured several serving ministers and stakeholders committed to deepening participatory governance and driving national progress.
