- Atiku Abubakar criticized Senator George Akume’s suggestion that northern politicians wait until 2031 for presidential ambitions, emphasizing merit-based leadership
- Akume defended President Tinubu’s right to a second term, while Atiku’s spokesperson highlighted the need for equitable power distribution in Nigeria
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized recent comments by Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), regarding the 2027 presidential election.
Akume suggested that northern politicians wait until 2031 before seeking the presidency again, emphasizing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves a second term.
Atiku, who ran as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 presidential election, dismissed Akume’s remarks and said President Tinubu’s performance in office does not warrant reelection. “God forbid,” he declared, insisting that Nigerians will decide their leader in 2027 based on merit.
Akume, during a televised interview, defended Tinubu’s right to a second term as a southerner and argued that northern aspirants, including Atiku, should wait their turn.
“If it is the will of God for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to be President of Nigeria, even at the age of 90 years, he can get it. But he and other northerners eyeing the office now should look beyond 2027,” Akume stated.
In response, Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, took to social media to challenge Akume’s stance, raising concerns about fairness in the distribution of political power between the North and South.
“By 2027, the South will have enjoyed 17 years of leadership — eight under Obasanjo, five under Jonathan, and four under Tinubu — compared to the North’s 11 years, with Yar’Adua’s three and Buhari’s eight. This creates a six-year disparity in favor of the South, undermining the principle of balance in power-sharing,” Ibe wrote.
He further argued that the Nigerian people hold the ultimate authority to elect or reject any government based on its performance.
“Has the Tinubu government demonstrated that it deserves to be re-elected? The answer, alas, is as clear as the heavens themselves — God forbid!” he concluded.
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