Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, has declared that political power will return to the northern region after President Bola Tinubu completes his second term in office.
Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, Bago dismissed calls for a northern presidency in 2027, describing them as premature and politically hasty.
“For crying out loud, this man has just spent two years in office, and you want it to come back to the north. How?” Bago asked. “When he (Tinubu) finishes his eight years, power will come to the north, and northerners who want to contest can then contest.”
The governor, popularly called the “farmer-governor,” said he had already assumed the role of Director-General of Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign, adding that the campaign headquarters would be located in Minna, Niger State.
“I have made myself the DG of Tinubu’s campaign for 2027, and no going back about that. Our headquarters will be in Minna,” he said.
Bago reaffirmed his belief in Nigeria’s informal rotational presidency arrangement, which alternates power between the North and South, describing it as vital to the country’s fragile unity.
“In Niger State, there is no dissenting voice. Nigeria coexists peacefully because we have agreed to a rotation; the north will do eight years, the south will do eight years,” he said.
He pledged to mobilise young voters in support of Tinubu, arguing that the political influence of northern elites opposing the president had weakened.
“These people you are talking about don’t control the youths. We control the youths, and the youths are with Asiwaju,” he declared.
Beyond politics, the Niger governor restated his support for the creation of state police, urging Tinubu and the National Assembly to fast-track the necessary legislation. According to him, decentralised policing would bring security closer to communities and improve safety nationwide.
Bago’s comments come amid growing murmurs from some northern politicians advocating an early return of power to the region in 2027, citing security and economic concerns. Meanwhile, voices in the South-East and South-South argue that their regions deserve a turn at the presidency, pointing to years of political marginalisation.
Analysts say Bago’s firm stance is aimed at quelling intra-party agitation within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and reinforcing the zoning arrangement to avoid reigniting regional tensions ahead of the next election.
