AKUME: NORTHERNERS BACKING ATIKU ARE ‘ENEMIES OF THE NORTH’, 2031 IS THEIR TURN

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has urged northern voters to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, arguing that the region should wait until 2031 to seek the presidency.

Akume made the remarks on Saturday during a pre-campaign meeting with Benue State indigenes living in Kaduna.

He criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition, saying competing northern bids could undermine the region’s collective political interests.

“Anybody who is from the North and running for the presidency is an enemy of the North,” Akume said. “It is not yet our turn. The North’s turn is in 2031.”

The former Benue governor argued that respecting rotation between the North and South would help preserve national unity. He maintained that personal ambitions should not take priority over that arrangement.

His comments represent his political position on power rotation and support for Tinubu, rather than a restriction on who can contest the election.

Akume also defended the President’s appointment record, claiming that the administration had treated regions and religious groups fairly.

He encouraged those at the meeting to examine the government’s record and resist what he described as misleading claims about its policies.

The report did not include a response from Atiku, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, to Akume’s remarks.