Group urges North to uphold power rotation, support Tinubu

By Ahmed Ahmed

The Nigeria Forward (NF), a socio-political group, has urged political stakeholders in Northern Nigeria to uphold the principle of power rotation and allow President Bola Tinubu to complete an eight-year tenure.

The group made the call at the weekend in Abuja at the formal unveiling of Nigeria Forward held at Barcelona Hotel, Wuse II.

Its Co-Convener, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, who is also Kano Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, said the group believed that the North-South power-sharing arrangement since the return to democratic rule in 1999 had helped promote political balance and national cohesion.

Waiya said returning the presidency to the North after only one term would, in the group’s view, undermine the principle of rotation and could reopen sectional tensions associated with presidential politics.

He urged Northern political stakeholders to place national balance above immediate electoral considerations and allow the Tinubu administration time to consolidate its policies, programmes and projects.

According to him, the administration inherited significant economic and security challenges in 2023 and has introduced measures which, he said, could strengthen governance and development.

He cited local government autonomy, increased financial resources to sub-national governments and moves toward establishing state police structures among the reforms.

Waiya disclosed that Kano State had established a committee on the implementation of state police, saying the initiative could contribute to job creation and improved security when fully implemented.

He, however, cautioned against reducing the challenges facing Northern Nigeria to presidential politics, stressing that tackling poverty and underdevelopment required the participation of citizens, state and local governments and other stakeholders.

“Democracy is a social contract,” he said.

Waiya described Nigeria Forward as a platform designed to bridge the gap between government policies and citizens through bottom-to-top engagement, insisting that it was not owned by any particular political party.

Also speaking, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology and Co-Convener of the movement, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, said Federal Government reforms were designed to move Nigeria from infrastructure and connectivity to production, jobs and prosperity.

Udeh said Nigeria Forward would provide citizens with information on projects, investments, opportunities and the impact of government programmes in communities.

He urged Nigerians to assess infrastructure based on its practical impact, noting that roads should connect farmers to markets, while railways should reduce transportation costs.

He identified energy and digital connectivity as important to expanding opportunities for young Nigerians.

Udeh urged Nigerians to support Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 to consolidate the reforms, and called on NF members to base their activities on evidence, inclusiveness, innovation and national unity.

He said the platform’s message, “Together We Move Nigeria Forward,” should translate into service, responsible citizenship and national development.