The President-General of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yerima Shettima, has said there is no guarantee that North would regain power in 2031 if it supports President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
Naija News reports that Shettima disclosed that the statements from All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Umar Ganduje and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, on North taking over from Tinubu in 2031 are flawed.
In an interview with Vanguard, the Arewa Youths President stated that depriving some northern politicians their rights to contest the 2027 election could cause an internal crisis in the region.
“The recent statements by Ganduje, and Bello Mattawalle, former Governor of Zamfara State, advocating for a Northern deferral of the presidential bid until 2031 in favour of Bola Tinubu’s re-election, have sparked significant debate. Their proposition, suggesting the North support Tinubu for a second term and then focus on securing the presidency in 2031, raises questions about political pragmatism, regional power dynamics, and the long-term implications for Nigerian democracy.
“However, several compelling counter-arguments weaken the proposed strategy. Firstly, it ignores the fundamental principle of democratic competition. Deferring the presidential bid for eight years risks undermining the aspirations of many Northern political leaders and their constituencies. This could lead to internal divisions within the ruling party and the North itself, weakening its overall bargaining power.
“Furthermore, the assumption that Tinubu’s re-election guarantees Northern ascendancy in 2031 is inherently flawed. The political landscape is fluid and unpredictable; unforeseen circumstances, shifting alliances, and the emergence of new political forces could easily derail this plan,” he said.
Shettima further argued that Nigeria’s politics is complex. He noted that the calculation that North would be better positioned to take over from Tinubu by 2031 carries significant risk.
“While the proposition to support Tinubu’s re-election and aim for the presidency in 2031 may seem like a strategic calculation on the surface, it carries significant risks. The gamble ignores the complexities of Nigerian politics, potentially undermines democratic principles, and risks alienating significant segments of the Northern population,” he stated.
