In a bold move, political stakeholders from Nigeria’s North-Central region have called for the region to produce the next President in the 2027 general election, citing 65 years of marginalization in the country’s political landscape.
At a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, party leaders and key figures from the six states in the North-Central – Benue, Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – announced their collective resolve to work together to break the cycle of political exclusion.
However, they have laid down a significant condition to potentially support the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu.
The region has demanded that should the APC choose to re-nominate Tinubu, his running mate for the 2027 elections must come from North-Central, replacing the current Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima.
The conference was led by Prof. Nghargbu K’tso, Chairman of the North-Central Renaissance Movement, who expressed deep dissatisfaction with the region’s long-standing exclusion from Nigeria’s highest offices.
He highlighted that the North-Central, despite hosting Nigeria’s capital, has been repeatedly sidelined when it comes to producing either a President or Vice President.
Prof. K’tso pointed out, “As Nigeria approaches its 65th anniversary of independence on October 1, 2025, it will also mark 65 years of political exclusion for the North-Central zone. This has led to the region’s marginalization in the country’s leadership and resulted in severe economic challenges, insecurity, and social unrest.”
K’tso also underscored that the North-Central zone, alongside the South-East, has never held either of the two highest offices in the Fourth Republic, which began in 1999.
The professor lamented that despite being a key region in Nigeria’s political fabric, the North-Central’s contribution to national leadership has been ignored.
While the South-East had the opportunity to produce Dr. Alex Ekwueme, who served as Vice President from 1979 to 1983, the North-Central has not had such representation in modern times, intensifying feelings of neglect and injustice.
The North-Central Renaissance Movement is now demanding that the presidency be ceded to the region in 2027, in the interest of fairness, equity, and justice.
K’tso stated that it is time for the North-Central zone to take its rightful place in the country’s leadership, adding, “Our time is now!”
The group also made it clear that if President Tinubu is re-nominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the region expects him to select a running mate from North-Central, a move that would give the region the representation it has long been denied.
The political implication of this demand is significant, as the North-Central’s influence in the 2027 elections could be pivotal.
With the zone’s rich political, social, and economic landscape, the outcome of the elections could largely depend on how major parties respond to the call for a more inclusive leadership structure.
The group also insists that other political parties must feature presidential candidates from the North-Central, ensuring that the region has a legitimate shot at the presidency.
As the 2027 election approaches, all eyes will be on whether the North-Central’s push for fairness will shape the political strategies of the APC, PDP, and other parties, potentially altering the course of Nigerian politics.
