Gov Fintiri, Akume, Others Can’t Stop Northerners From Contesting 2027 Presidency – ACF

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has taken a swipe at the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, over his comment that the Presidency in 2027 should be zoned to the South, insisting that no Nigerian can be barred from contesting the nation’s top office on the basis of region.

Fintiri had sparked debate during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday when he argued that it would be unfair for the North to seek the Presidency in the 2027 general elections.

The governor said in the spirit of zoning and political balance, the South should be allowed to retain the Presidency after the current tenure of President Bola Tinubu.

According to him, no northerner has any business joining the race, stressing that allowing the South to produce the next president would help maintain political stability and national cohesion.

But reacting to the comment, the ACF described the position as unconstitutional and warned against attempts to restrict Nigerians from exercising their democratic rights.

The forum’s national publicity secretary, T. A. Muhammad-Baba, told  LEADERSHIP Weekend  that the Adamawa governor’s remark should be treated strictly as a personal opinion and that they do not have the power to stop willing notherners from contesting..

“The Adamawa State governor was only stating his personal opinion. And that is all. It is not a constitutional requirement. Nobody has a right to say or stop a northerner from contesting,” Muhammad-Baba said.

He argued that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees every eligible citizen the right to contest elections, noting that political parties, not individuals, decide how they field candidates.

“The governor cannot even direct people in Adamawa not to contest the 2027 presidential election because that is not the law. The convention in this country is to allow parties to decide where their candidates will come from. It is not in the constitution,” he added.

Muhammad-Baba warned that narratives suggesting that certain regions should be excluded from contesting elections could undermine democratic principles.

“If you keep saying some parts of the country should not contest, then you might as well say that people from certain areas should not vote.

That would amount to turning democracy upside down,” he said.

He further described such arguments as part of political manipulation capable of distorting the democratic process.

“An election is an election ,  one person, one vote. When people begin to say certain regions should not contest, it becomes manipulation of the system,” he said.

The ACF spokesman also raised concerns over remarks attributed to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, suggesting that the 2027 elections might not be “100 per cent perfect,” warning that such comments could weaken public confidence in the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has distanced itself from the controversy, saying Governor Fintiri was entitled to his personal opinion while stressing that the party would consider all options in selecting its presidential candidate for the 2027 polls.

Speaking with our correspondent, the party’s national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC would adopt a strategic approach when the time comes to make its decision.

“Governor Fintiri is entitled to his opinion. However, as a political party, we will consider all available options when the time comes to choose our presidential candidate for the 2027 election,” Abdullahi said.

Amid the growing debate, secretary-general of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Anthony Sani, had earlier observed that the dynamics of zoning and the fragmentation within opposition parties could shape the outcome of the 2027 race.

According to Sani, if the current political pattern persists, particularly with opposition parties spread across the Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress and New Nigeria People’s Party, the divisions could once again create an advantage for the ruling party.

He noted that a similar situation played out during the 2023 elections when opposition forces were split across multiple platforms, a development that ultimately worked in favour of the incumbent administration.