- Ganduje insisted Tinubu will serve two full terms, rejecting any push for a northern president in 2027
- The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman called for unity in the party, urging northern politicians to respect the party's power-sharing arrangements
- Ganduje expressed confidence in Nigeria's progress under Tinubu’s leadership, despite ongoing challenges
Abdullahi Ganduje, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged northern politicians with presidential aspirations for 2027 to reconsider their ambitions, asserting that President Bola Tinubu will serve two full terms.
Ganduje made his remarks on Tuesday, February 11, during a meeting with leaders from the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre (PBAT Media Centre) and the Tinubu Northern Youth Forum (TNYF) at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
Tinubu will complete term before North’s turn
His comments appeared to challenge former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who recently suggested on social media that the North could take a similar stance to the 2015 election when it opposed then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
“When a leader from the North governed for eight years, we pushed for the next president to come from the South,” he stated.
He further said, “With hard work and cooperation from Nigerians, we achieved that. Our president is from the South and, inshallah, will complete his second term in 2027. After that, power will return to the North.”
He dismissed the possibility of a northern presidency before 2031, emphasising that following eight years of northern leadership, the APC had pushed for the next president to come from the South.
Ganduje acknowledges country’s challenges
He reiterated the party's commitment to power rotation between the North and South, noting that after Tinubu’s expected second term, the presidency would return to the North.
Ganduje also acknowledged the challenges facing the country, attributing them to long-standing issues that require significant intervention and time to resolve. He expressed confidence that under Tinubu’s leadership, economic progress was already underway.
“There is no doubt that many things went wrong over a long period, and fixing them requires serious intervention,” Ganduje added.
2027: Aregbesola, Kwankwaso meeting sparks coalition speculation
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Rauf Aregbesola and Rabiu Kwankwaso met in Lagos, triggering speculation about a potential political alliance for the 2027 elections.
While Aregbesola isn't expected to run, his political influence is seen as key to any future alliances in the region.