With murmurs of discontent among some political factions and speculation over President Bola Tinubu’s second-term prospects, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has put forward a resolute stance: Tinubu will serve a full eight years before power shifts back to the North in 2031.
Ganduje, a former governor of Kano State and a key northern political figure, made this declaration on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the Tinubu Northern Youth Forum. The group had come to pledge support for the president’s administration and strategize for the 2027 elections.
Speaking to the delegation, Ganduje reaffirmed the APC’s commitment to zoning, emphasizing that after former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure from the North, it was only fair for the South to complete its own cycle.
“We are happy that our party believes in zoning,” he said. “When a leader from the northern part of this country was in office for eight years, we advocated that the next president in our party should come from the South. We worked very hard, and with the cooperation of Nigerians, our president emerged from the South. By God’s grace, he will go for a second term in 2027, and after that, power will return to the North.”
Ganduje’s remarks come at a time political maneuverings for the next electoral cycle are already gaining momentum. Reports have suggested that some northern political figures, unhappy with Tinubu’s leadership, are quietly organizing against his second-term bid. However, the APC chairman’s firm stance signals that the party leadership is aligning behind the president for the long haul.
Beyond electoral politics, Ganduje commended the youth forum for its advocacy, particularly in helping to demystify the government’s tax reform agenda, which initially sparked controversy.
“At first, people misunderstood the tax reforms, but through public engagement and education, many now understand their purpose,” he said. “If support organizations like yours continue assisting in public enlightenment, it will foster inclusiveness in governance.”
The APC chairman also welcomed another pro-Tinubu group, the Tinubu Young Generation Forum, applauding its efforts in promoting the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He acknowledged that Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges had deep roots but assured that the current administration’s reforms were beginning to yield positive results.
“There is no doubt that many things went wrong over a long period, and fixing them requires bold, sometimes painful, reforms. But we are starting to see the impact, especially on the economy,” Ganduje stated.
With 2027 still three years away, Ganduje’s statement is a strategic message to both supporters and skeptics within the APC. It not only signals the party’s determination to back Tinubu for re-election but also reassures northern power brokers that their turn will come.
However, in Nigeria’s fluid political climate, where alliances shift and dissent brews beneath the surface, the road to 2027 will likely be anything but straightforward.
