By Seyi Odewale
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has declared that the North should not field a presidential candidate in 2027, insisting that the presidency must remain in the South in line with the principle of power rotation.
Speaking on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Fintiri said national stability and fairness require that the South be allowed to complete an eight-year tenure.
The governor, who recently defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), maintained that while the constitution permits any qualified Nigerian to contest, equity must guide political decisions.
“There is no business of anybody in the North to do with the presidency at the moment. It is the South’s turn; they should complete their eight years if we are really serious about this country. It should rotate so that we will all be brother’s keepers,” he said.
His remarks come amid renewed political calculations ahead of the 2027 general election. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, remains one of the prominent figures speculated to be eyeing another run.
The Adamawa-born politician has since left the PDP for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Fintiri, however, threw his weight behind incumbent President Bola Tinubu, urging support for a second term.
“What else do we want as a state? We won’t force anyone to be a presidential candidate, which means we will continue to support our people in playing local politics.
“Everybody knows we are organised, and if we push further, we can still win elections. But who is that person who has come out to say he wants to contest for the presidential election in the PDP? We have seen none for now.”
On his relationship with Atiku, who holds the traditional title of Waziri of Adamawa, the governor dismissed suggestions of political friction.
“I still have, there is nothing that has gone bad. It is just that everybody has taken their political ways. I am today in APC, they are in another party.”
Reaffirming his position, Fintiri stressed that the unity and balance of the country must take precedence over individual ambition.
“It is still the turn of the South to complete. A northerner has no business at the moment to vie for the office of the President.
“If there is no other candidate, we should support Bola Tinubu GCFR to complete his tenure. After all, he has done so much. He initiated good policies that are working, that are showing us light at the end of the tunnel,” he added.
