Akume: Northern Presidential Aspirants Should Wait Until 2031, Back Tinubu In 2027

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has urged Northern politicians aspiring to the presidency to defer their ambitions until 2031, declaring that President Bola Tinubu remains the best candidate for the 2027 election.

Akume said any Northerner seeking the presidency in 2027 would be working against the region’s interests, insisting that the existing power-sharing arrangement between the North and South should be respected to sustain national unity.

The SGF spoke on Saturday in Kaduna at a pre-campaign meeting with Benue State indigenes residing in the state, where he called on them to support Tinubu’s re-election bid and the second-term ambition of Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani.

“Anybody who is from the North and running for the presidency is an enemy of the North. Don’t allow that pretender to deceive you. It is not yet our turn. The North’s turn is in 2031. Prepare to vote for Tinubu,” he said.

Akume warned against allowing personal political ambitions to undermine the region’s collective interests, recalling the agreement on power rotation reached by political leaders in Kaduna to promote national cohesion.

He argued that adherence to the arrangement had helped sustain Nigeria’s unity and territorial integrity, urging Northern political stakeholders to resist attempts to disrupt the established understanding.

The former Benue State governor also defended Tinubu’s record on appointments, saying the President had been fair to Nigerians across religious and regional lines.

“He doesn’t favour one religion over the other. Just look at the figures. So be careful about what people tell you,” Akume said.

He further urged the gathering to disregard opposition politicians challenging the President’s policies, accusing one unnamed political figure of inconsistency over the removal of fuel subsidy. “There is none like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027,” he said.

Akume cited ongoing Federal Government projects in Benue State, particularly in healthcare, road infrastructure and education, as evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to the state.

He also referred to the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), claiming that more than 65 per cent of the fund had been accessed by beneficiaries, most of whom, he said, were from Northern Nigeria.

The SGF called on Benue indigenes in Kaduna to sustain their engagement with the state government, praising Governor Uba Sani’s leadership and urging them to support his return to office.

He described Kaduna as a historic city that had contributed to shaping Nigeria’s political development and assured Benue indigenes resident in the state that they should regard it as their home.

Akume also drew on his experience as governor of Benue State to advocate peaceful coexistence among Nigeria’s ethnic and religious communities, saying effective leadership should promote inclusion and mutual understanding.

“I was the governor of Benue State and the Fulanis were there. It is about leadership. If Asiwaju was not a good leader, I would not tell you otherwise,” he said.

The meeting brought together Benue indigenes living in Kaduna and political stakeholders to discuss community interests, political representation and engagement with the Federal Government.

Among those who accompanied the SGF were former Jigawa State Governor Saminu Turaki; former Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; Senator Abu Ibrahim; Minister of Water Resources, Prof. Joseph Utsev; and Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu.

The statement was signed by Yomi Odunuga, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the SGF, and dated October 24, 2026.