. ..Says Zoning Has Come to Stay, North Not Marginalised ...Warns That One-Term Pledges Are Political Gimmicks By Awwal Umar F...
...Says Zoning Has Come to Stay, North Not Marginalised
...Warns That One-Term Pledges Are Political Gimmicks
By Awwal Umar
Former Niger State Governor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has declared that the idea of a power shift in 2027 is both unnecessary and potentially destabilizing. He emphasized that the South must be allowed to complete its constitutionally unwritten two-term rotation in the presidency, in keeping with the political zoning arrangement that has guided Nigeria’s democratic structure since 1999.
Aliyu made this assertion during a Government-Citizen Engagement event organized by the Foundation in Kaduna, where northern political appointees under the Tinubu administration presented the scorecard of the federal government. The Foundation rated the government's performance in key sectors as impressive.
Addressing speculations and agitations over alleged marginalisation of the North in the current administration, Aliyu dismissed the claims as unfounded. He pointed to the appointments of the National Security Adviser, two Ministers of Defence, and two Ministers of Agriculture—all from the North—as evidence that the region has not been sidelined.
“In what way is the North marginalised?” Aliyu asked during a national television interview. “A region that has the NSA, two defence ministers, and two agriculture ministers cannot reasonably claim exclusion.”
Responding to Northern politicians advocating for a return of power to the region in 2027, Aliyu challenged them to present credible alternatives to the current administration. He stressed that unseating President Tinubu would be a “mission impossible” without a better vision.
“They say they want to remove the APC and also President Tinubu. But some say it’s a mission impossible,” he said. “What alternative are you offering to Nigerians that is better than what we have now?”
The former governor, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), warned against abandoning the zoning arrangement that has defined Nigeria’s political landscape. He said calls for a one-term presidency by some aspirants from the North and South were not only unrealistic but also deceptive.
“I’ve heard many presidential hopefuls promise to serve only one term,” he said. “But what guarantees do we have that such promises will be kept? One cannot predict the future. If Nigerians could tolerate President Buhari for eight years, we should be able to do the same for Tinubu and uphold the zoning principle till 2031.”
Aliyu criticised what he described as the politicisation of ethnic and regional narratives, saying such tactics are divisive and dangerous. He urged political actors to stop framing national issues in ethnic terms and instead focus on pragmatic solutions.
Commenting on the disconnection between elected officials and their constituents, Aliyu lamented that many lawmakers and political appointees rarely report back or communicate government programmes to their people.
“How many of them go back to their constituencies? How many inform the people about what the government is doing?” he asked.
He noted that despite President Tinubu’s achievements, the government struggles with public perception due to poor communication and advocacy.
“The Federal Executive Council must do more to communicate the successes of this government. The Ministry of Information alone cannot handle this. Every minister and head of agency must become an advocate,” he said.
Aliyu concluded that a symbiotic relationship between the federal and state governments was necessary to ensure transparency and citizen engagement. He called for better communication strategies to explain government actions, especially to the Northern region, which delivered the highest number of votes for the current administration.
“Let the people understand what is happening on the ground. If, as they say, 63 to 64 percent of the votes came from the North, it is only logical that the region expects accountability and inclusion,” he said.
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