Politics
North Divided Over Tinubu Re-election As Leaders Take Sides

Northern leaders have been divided over the possible re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Findings by The PUNCH revealed that the once monolithic North is now split, with core northerners determined to oust Tinubu in 2027, while northern minorities support his re-election.
It noted that although core northerners complain about the President’s unfavourable disposition towards the region, minority groups argue that they have fared well under his administration.
The Middle Belt, southern Kaduna residents, Hausa Christians of Northern Nigeria, and many natives of Plateau State have distanced themselves from the plot to unseat Tinubu.
However, core northerners, represented by various political, socio-cultural, and indigenous groups, insist that Tinubu does not deserve a second term.
The division among northern stakeholders is evident in social media exchanges between former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and a human rights activist, Senator Shehu Sani, who frequently express differing views on Tinubu’s approach to northern issues, particularly security.
The Arewa Consultative Forum, a key political and cultural association in Northern Nigeria, alongside several prominent northern figures, said the region could not be coerced into re-electing Tinubu.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the Secretary General of the group, Murtala Aliyu, stated that the forum remained nonpartisan and would not support or oppose any candidate.
The ACF was responding to a recent statement by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, who urged northern politicians with presidential ambitions to abandon their aspirations because Tinubu would serve for two terms.
“What we normally do at ACF is to highlight critical issues that the people should consider when choosing a candidate, irrespective of their political party. We do not involve ourselves in promoting or antagonising any candidate,” Aliyu said.
READ ALSO:Tinubu Approves Expansion of 12 River Basins To Boost Food Securityp
The League of Northern Democrats, a northern group comprising members of the APC, the Peoples Democratic Party, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, vowed to support an alternative candidate in 2027.
The spokesperson for the group, Ladan Salihu, said, “We don’t have a personal agenda against Tinubu, but we believe his government has not delivered. The performance indicators do not add up to justify northern support.
“The government has not met expectations, and we in the North are not convinced he deserves another opportunity. Even those who voted for him are now filled with regret. His administration has brought hardship, poverty and agony to the people.
“No northerner with a conscience can claim to be impressed with Tinubu’s performance. He may have the best intentions, but the system he is working with is flawed and unsustainable. It cannot deliver on the promises he made to the North.”
Salihu also hinted at the possibility of a new political movement to field a northern candidate against Tinubu in 2027.
“Yes, there is a possibility, because we are not convinced that this government can lift Nigeria out of its current predicament,” he said.
Similarly, the National Coalition of Northern Groups warned that the North would not vote for Tinubu if economic conditions did not improve.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, the coalition president, Jamilu Charanchi, stated that the North, which holds the majority of votes, would not re-elect Tinubu if economic hardship persisted.
“It is the people who will decide who leads the country—there is no doubt about that. The North has a majority. It is up to President Tinubu to make the right decisions so that people will re-elect him. If he continues on this path, I can tell you clearly that people will not vote for him,” he said.
Urging Nigerians to vote wisely, Charanchi advised the electorate to choose leaders based on competence, capacity, integrity and adherence to the rule of law.
He said, “Nigerians should not allow themselves to be manipulated by politicians. They should vote based on merit and mobilise others to elect leaders who will lift the country out of its current crisis.”
READ ALSO: SERAP Sues Tinubu Over Unexecuted N167bn Projects
Charanchi described Ganduje’s comment as troubling and disheartening, stating that it indicated the APC chairman was out of touch with reality.
“Is he satisfied with Nigeria’s failing economy? Does he believe these failures are acceptable or justified?” he asked.
A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, had previously hinted at northern efforts to remove Tinubu in 2027.
Lawal recently declared his intention to work with El-Rufai to prevent Tinubu’s re-election.
In an interview, Lawal blamed Tinubu’s economic policies for worsening poverty and hardship in Northern Nigeria.
“The North is seriously mobilising with a consensus that Bola Tinubu must step down in the 2027 election. There is no doubt about this consensus.
“I may not have always agreed with El-Rufai, but on this issue, I will join him to stop Tinubu from winning the 2027 election. If Tinubu wins, northern Nigeria will turn into one large refugee camp,” he said.
El-Rufai, on Monday, shared on his X handle an opinion by a chieftain of the party, Uche Diala, who warned that if Tinubu was not careful, he might face the same fate as former President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2027 election.
The article stated, “I have read and heard the arrogant posturing and braggadocio by some people who I refer to as political rabble-rousers, but I get more worried each day as it keeps looking more and more like a movie we had seen before.
“May I remind some persons that, more than the performance or lack thereof of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, it was his attitude, and that of people around him, towards the North that ultimately brought him down and by extension the PDP that had boasted that it would rule Nigeria for 60 years.”
El-Rufai himself had on his X handle criticised the APC, lamenting the lack of internal democracy and active party structures within the party.
READ ALSO:SERAP Demands Tinubu Probe N26bn Oil Sector Scandal
He wrote “I no longer recognise the APC. No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show.”
However, the northern minorities distanced themselves from the plot to oust Tinubu.
One of the notable northern minority groups, the Middle Belt Forum, stated that the region had decided to support a southern presidency in 2027.
The MBF argued that the region had received a better deal under the current administration than under former President Muhammadu Buhari, despite prevailing economic hardships.
According to the MBF’s spokesman, Luka Binniyat, the Middle Belt has secured more political appointments at the national level and more infrastructural projects than under the previous government.
According to The PUNCH, Middle Belt indigenes in Tinubu’s administration include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume (Benue State), and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda (Plateau State).
“We are having a better deal under Bola Tinubu than under Buhari, even though we are all experiencing economic hardship like everyone else.
“The Middle Belt Forum, for sure, still stands for a southern presidency in 2027. So, it is up to President Tinubu to up his game to attract the Middle Belt when an alternative candidate emerges in 2027,” Binniyat said.
Similarly, indigenous Hausa Christians of Northern Nigeria dissociated themselves from the plot to remove Tinubu in 2027, stating that they would not be pressured into making a decision that could negatively impact the social well-being of their people.
According to the Christian group, Tinubu’s administration had demonstrated a commitment to addressing the insecurity that has plagued many northern states.
“All we want at the moment is inclusivity, as we have many qualified individuals and seasoned politicians capable of holding political office.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Tinubu Meets Gov Fubara, Ogoni Leaders At State House
“Instead of calling for the President’s removal in 2027, we are urging him to consider some of our people for appointments, as we refuse to inherit anyone’s enemies,” said the National Chairman of the group, Daniel Musa.
Some indigenes of Plateau State also declared support for Tinubu’s second term.
Speaking with The PUNCH under the auspices of the Plateau Initiative for the Development and Advancement of the Natives in Jos, the indigenes acknowledged the President’s contributions to the development of their region.
The association’s Secretary General, Dickson Auta, said, “He (Tinubu) has indeed shown that he is a detribalised leader because he has been striving to spread developmental projects across every part of the country.
“Our people are only concerned about good governance, and if Mr President continues on this developmental path, I am sure our people will have no choice but to support his ambition in 2027 should he decide to run for a second term. In fact, we are already supporting him.”
Also, the Southern Kaduna People’s Union commended Tinubu for appointing individuals from Southern Kaduna to key positions.
A spokesperson for SOKAPU, Josiah Abraks, cited the appointment of Gen. Christopher Musa as Chief of Defence Staff and the establishment of the Federal University of Applied Science, Kachia, as examples of the President’s inclusivity, which has benefited the people of Southern Kaduna.
“The southern part of Kaduna is willing to partner with whoever is ready to work with us to ensure our growth and development,” he added.
(PUNCH)
Politics
Enugu Gov Mbah Set to Dump PDP

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah is set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, next week.
National Chairman and Deputy National Chairman, South-East, of the APC, Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda and Emma Eneukwu, respectively, broke the news in Abuja on Friday.
The APC national leadership revealed Mbah’s imminent defection to the ruling party while swearing in the newly inaugurated members of the Enugu State caretaker committee, led by former state chairman, Ben Nwoye, at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
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The governor is expected to announce his defection at an event schedule to hold in the state next week.
Chairman of the newly inaugurated caretaker committee, Nwoye, who confirmed the development, said the governor will join the ruling party alongside all his appointees.
There are speculations that Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, is also set to join APC.
Politics
Makinde Calls Out Umahi Over Coastal Highway Cost Analysis

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has weighed in on the cost of the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project that was approved by President Bola Tinubu.
Makinde, who spoke at an event in a viral video on Friday, said there was no need for the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to be “dancing around the cost” of the project.
The governor was reacting to a heated exchange that unfolded live on television between Umahi and Arise TV presenter Rufai Oseni on Tuesday.
Oseni had requested the minister to analyse the cost of the project, kilometre by kilometre.
READ ALSO:Umahi Terminates Benin–Warri Road Contract, Seeks Refund
The request didn’t sit well with Umahi, who declared himself “professor” of practice in engineering while elaborating that the costs of the road in kilometres are not the same and would be too complicated for the journalist to understand.
He said, “These are elementary questions. And it makes no sense (sic). A process is ongoing, payment has been made, and you are saying, ‘how has this money been utilised?. The money is meant for the project, and it will be paid according to the work done.
“When a certificate is generated, and it is approved through a process in the Ministry of Works, it will then be given to the funders, who will, in turn, check if the works were done. How can you be asking for cost of kilometre? The prices are different. The next kilometre is different from the next kilometre.
“Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field. You don’t understand anything. I understand engineering very well. You have no knowledge of what you ask. You have no knowledge of what you’re asking.”
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Oseni, who also refused to back down, responded, “Minister, it’s alright, keep dignifying yourself, and let the world know who you truly are.”
However, justifying the journalist’s question to the minister, Makinde said, “They asked a minister how much is the coastal road is, and then you (Umahi) are dancing around and going to say that no, the next kilometre is different from the next kilometres. Then what is the average cost?
“When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road then, it was about N9.99 billion, almost N10 billion. About 34 or 35 kilometres, average cost is about N238 million per kilometre.
“But when we did Iseyin to Ogbomoso, that was 76 kilometres, it was about N43 billion, average cost is about N500 million per kilometre. And we had two bridges, one over the Ogun river and then one at Ogbomoso end.”
READ ALSO:Falana Slams South-West Governors, Criticises Makinde’s N63bn Renovation
The PUNCH reports that last year, the Federal Government announced the commencement of construction work on the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which spans nine states and includes two spurs leading to the northern states.
Umahi made the announcement during the official handover of the first phase of the project, made up of 47.47 kilometers of dual carriageway, to Hitech Construction Company Limited, and which is to be constructed in concrete pavement.
This was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser (Media), Uchenna Orji.
According to him, the Minister who was in company with the Federal Ministry of Works’ Controller in charge of Lagos State, Mrs O. I. Kesha, emphasised the need for all contractors handling Federal Government’s road projects to deliver within a record time, noting that the government would not allow variation arising from delays or slow pace of work once mobilisation had been done.
Politics
2027: Oyo Gov, Makinde Speaks On Successor

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said that the choice of who would succeed him in 2027 rests solely with the people of the state, not with political godfathers or entitlement claims.
Makinde said this on Thursday in Ibadan while flagging off the zonal stakeholders’ consultative forum and engagement meeting on the 2026 Budget.
According to the governor, the decision of who becomes the next governor of Oyo state rests on all eligible voters in the state.
“Oyo State has gone beyond the era of politics based on entitlement or propaganda.
“Rather, the people of the state are now more politically enlightened and they will only support leaders who present credible plans and demonstrate capacity for development,” he said.
READ ALSO:I’m Not Ready To Go Into The Gutters With Anyone – Makinde
Makinde, while reflecting on his own experience before coming into office in 2019, noted that leadership must be about accountability, not entitlement.
He recalled that many people doubted his capability when he first sought the governorship position, because he had not held any political office.
“In 2018, when I was consulting to become governor, there was no yardstick to measure me. I had never been a councillor or a local government chairman, but I asked the people to trust me and judge me by my actions,” he said.
The governor urged political leaders to focus on policies and projects that directly impact the lives of citizens rather than engaging in political theatrics.
READ ALSO:Senate Fives FG Ultimatum To Submit Budget Performance Report
He said his administration’s approach to challenges has been to present a clear roadmap for Oyo State’s development, “one that people can read, evaluate, and hold us accountable to.”
Makinde expressed optimism that the people of the state would continue to support leaders who prioritise progress, inclusivity, and the well-being of citizens over personal ambition.
Speaking at the 7th Stakeholders Consultative Forum, the governor said that his administration would continue to consult and engage with residents of the state on the making of the state’s annual budgets, with a view to knowing their aspirations and prioritising their needs.
He maintained that the stakeholders’ engagement was to enable his government to serve the residents of the state better through a bottom-up approach to development, noting that his administration began the tradition in 2019.
READ ALSO:Makinde, Wife Installed As Aare Omoluabi, Yeye Aare Omoluabi Of Akure Kingdom
According to him, his government first separated the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning from the Ministry of Finance in order to ensure better management of the state’s resources and to avoid discrepancies.
He stated that the stakeholders’ engagement had resulted in better budget performances and economic development of the state.
Makinde reiterated that his government would continue to serve the interests of the people of the state by putting in place institutions that would ensure that the environment was safe and ready to attract investments.
He added that the state was growing rapidly and that this development had stopped rural-urban migration with the construction of Moniya-Iseyin Road, Iseyin-Ogbomoso Road, Oyo-Iseyin Road, among other infrastructural projects, which have opened rural communities.
READ ALSO:Falana Slams South-West Governors, Criticises Makinde’s N63bn Renovation
Makinde is currently serving as governor for the second time.
The governor, whose term ends in 2027, had earlier this month advocated a single term of five or six years for elected political office holders across all levels of government in Nigeria, against the current double term of four years each.
He said a single term of five or six years is enough for any government to focus and serve the people and deliver on its mandate.
(NAN)
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