President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be allowed to complete a full eight-year tenure, according to the Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA), which urged Northern politicians to stay out of the 2027 presidential race. In a statement released on Sunday, the group's Speaker, Mohammed Salihu Danlami, declared there was "no vacancy in Aso Rock until May 29, 2031," citing the need to uphold zoning and rotational presidency for national unity. The AYA referenced the North's uninterrupted two-term tenure under former President Muhammadu Buhari, during which no major Southern candidate contested, as precedent. It warned that any Northern aspirant contesting in 2027 would face resistance from Northern youths, calling such a move a breach of the informal power-sharing agreement.
The group endorsed Tinubu's economic and security reforms, pointing to the removal of fuel subsidy, exchange rate unification, and growth in external reserves as signs of improving fiscal health. It noted a decline in the debt service-to-revenue ratio and praised military operations and intelligence efforts for gains against banditry and kidnappings, particularly in Northern Nigeria. The AYA credited National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu for coordinating reforms and enhancing security outcomes. While acknowledging progress, the assembly advised government officials to improve grassroots communication to increase public awareness and confidence in ongoing reforms. The AYA framed the 2027 election as a referendum on continuity and pledged unwavering support from Northern youths for Tinubu's re-election.
The Arewa Youth Assembly demands Northern politicians abstain from 2027 while celebrating security gains in the North, yet offers no explanation for why the same regional restraint should not apply to Southern aspirants in 2031. The group's call for silence from Northern contenders contrasts with its insistence that the government must loudly promote its achievements. If rotational presidency is non-negotiable, then the logic must bind all regions equally in future cycles. The support for Tinubu hinges on continuity, but the silence on how this model applies beyond 2031 leaves the principle looking selective.
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