Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has taken aim at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential ambition, arguing that any northerner seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the election would be acting against what he described as the North’s collective political interest.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-IDRI-Masterclass.png")
Akume, a former governor of Benue State, spoke in Kaduna during a pre-campaign meeting with Benue State indigenes resident in the state, where he urged northerners to support Tinubu’s bid for a second term and wait until 2031 before seeking a return of the presidency to the region.
Although Akume did not repeatedly mention Atiku by name in all of his remarks, his comments were directed at northern politicians seeking the presidency in 2027. Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, is among the prominent northern challengers to Tinubu.
Akume described such an ambition as inconsistent with the North-South power-rotation understanding which, according to him, has helped preserve political stability and national cohesion.
“Anybody who is from the North and running for the presidency is an enemy of the North,” Akume said, while urging the region to wait until 2031.
He warned northerners against allowing individual political ambition to disrupt what he regarded as an established understanding that presidential power should rotate between the North and South.
According to the SGF, Tinubu, who is from the South, should be allowed to seek a second term in 2027 before the North makes another claim to the presidency in 2031.
Akume recalled that an agreement on power rotation was reached in Kaduna by political leaders as part of efforts to promote inclusion and preserve Nigeria’s unity.
He maintained that the arrangement should continue to guide political calculations ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Remember that it was in this same Kaduna State that we agreed on power rotation between the North and the South,” he said, arguing that the understanding had contributed to keeping the country together.
The SGF consequently urged northern voters not to be persuaded by politicians seeking to challenge Tinubu before what he described as the region’s turn in 2031.
He also described the northern challenger as a “pretender” and warned against what he characterised as personal ambition taking precedence over wider political considerations.
Akume further defended Tinubu’s record on federal appointments and religious representation, rejecting suggestions that the administration had favoured one religious group over another.
He urged Nigerians to examine the composition of appointments rather than accept what he described as misleading political narratives.
“Let us remember that the President has been fair to all in terms of appointments and others,” Akume said, adding that Tinubu did not favour one religion over another.
The former Benue governor also criticised Atiku’s position on the removal of petrol subsidy, accusing him of inconsistency.
He described the former vice president as someone who changes positions on major policy questions, particularly subsidy removal.
Akume argued that the Tinubu administration’s decision on subsidy should be assessed against the wider economic reforms being pursued by the government rather than through what he described as shifting opposition positions.
His comments come as fuel subsidy removal and the resulting cost-of-living pressures have emerged as major issues in the campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Akume also sought to persuade Benue indigenes that Tinubu’s administration had demonstrated commitment to their state through federal interventions.
He cited projects in healthcare, road infrastructure and education as evidence of what he described as the President’s commitment to Benue.
“Let nobody deceive you, Asiwaju loves Benue,” Akume said, pointing to what he described as several federal projects being implemented simultaneously in the state.
The SGF’s remarks place the debate over the 2027 presidential election squarely within the long-running controversy over zoning and rotation of presidential power between northern and southern Nigeria.
Akume’s position is that supporting Tinubu for another term would preserve that political understanding and leave the North positioned to seek the presidency in 2031.
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation
______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
