2027: Respect Rotation Deal, Let South Complete 8 Years — SGF Akume Warns Northern Aspirants
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has urged Northern politicians to stay out of the 2027 presidential race, insisting that the South should complete its eight-year tenure before power returns to the North.
Akume made the call in Abuja on Wednesday while receiving a delegation from the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba Nigeria, led by its Supreme Knight, Sir Steve Adehi.
In a statement issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, he described power rotation as an important understanding for preserving fairness and national cohesion.
The SGF traced the arrangement to discussions held in Kaduna in 1999, involving governors-elect elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party and other prominent political leaders. According to him, the leaders agreed that the presidency should alternate between the North and South in eight-year cycles to promote political balance and strengthen trust among the country’s regions.
Akume argued that the arrangement emerged from concerns about concentrating political power in one part of the country and the need to prevent other regions from feeling excluded from the nation’s highest political office. He said the understanding was designed to support national unity while accommodating Nigeria’s regional diversity.
He expressed displeasure with Northern politicians seeking the presidency before the South completes its current eight-year tenure. Akume maintained that the established sequence should be respected and allowed to run its course rather than abandoned for immediate political interests.
The SGF also referenced the eight years served by former President Muhammadu Buhari, arguing that the South should now be allowed to complete its own eight-year period. His position effectively supports President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term, with Akume maintaining that the North should wait until the current tenure is completed.
“Power rotation should not be regarded as a temporary political convenience but as an understanding rooted in fairness, mutual respect and stability. Honouring the arrangement would help preserve confidence among the country’s regions and reinforce the principles underpinning democratic governance,” Akume said.
The meeting also featured discussions on social welfare and community development. Adehi told Akume that the Knights had supported medical treatment for patients, helped inmates settle outstanding financial obligations to secure their release from correctional facilities, provided boreholes, renovated schools and assisted hospitals.
Adehi said the interventions reflected the belief that the government alone could not address all the country’s social and economic challenges. Akume, in turn, called for sustained collaboration among the Federal, State and Local Governments, noting that development efforts must respond to immediate economic pressures while supporting long-term national growth.
