Northern Leaders Declare Support for Tinubu as Opposition Accuses APC of Intimidation

Northern political leaders under the Northern Bridge Builders Forum have pledged to back President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in 2027, vowing to honour the power rotation arrangement that allows the South to complete an eight-year tenure.

Speaking during a visit to Afenifere leader Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, Convener Senator Joel Dantami Iheny said their support was based on Tinubu’s efforts to tackle insecurity and stabilise the economy. He added that it would be unfair for the North to seek power again after Buhari’s eight years.

“We, the North, have had our turn. It is only fair that the South completes eight years under Tinubu,” Iheny said, urging Nigerians to support the President’s security and economic reforms.

In response, Pa Fasoranti, represented by Oba Olu Falae, hailed the northern leaders’ gesture as a positive step toward national unity, saying Nigeria’s diversity should be a source of strength.

Meanwhile, opposition voices have dismissed the show of support as political theatrics. Senator Dino Melaye of the ADC said mass defections to the APC would not guarantee victory in 2027, stressing that voters are now more politically conscious.

“The era when governors determined election outcomes is over,” Melaye said, predicting that the 2027 polls would reflect “the will of the governed, not the governors.”

The ADC also accused the APC of “political terrorism” after its Ekiti State secretariat was set ablaze on Monday. The party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the attack was part of a wider campaign of intimidation targeting opposition parties nationwide.

In the PDP, northern elders have accused FCT Minister Nyesom Wike of plotting to destabilise the party. The group’s secretary, Dr Abbas Sadauki, alleged that Wike and his allies were working with external forces to weaken the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.

Elsewhere, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said Nigeria’s elections have “improved significantly” since the PDP left power, recalling that past elections were riddled with irregularities.

Former Senator Shehu Sani also cautioned that if President Tinubu fails to deliver on his promises, it could make governance difficult for future leaders. He urged the President to focus on inclusive governance and bold reforms.

“If Tinubu fails, future leaders may struggle to succeed,” Sani warned, urging him to emulate visionary reformers who reshaped their nations through difficult but necessary decisions.