Senator Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari, Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, has urged northerners to allow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to complete his eight-year tenure as a demonstration of respect for Nigeria’s rotational presidency principle. Speaking after a closed-door meeting with Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf at the Kano Government House on Saturday, Yari emphasized that the current political arrangement must be upheld for national stability and unity.
Yari highlighted that since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, northerners have led the country for 47 years, underscoring the historical context of regional rotation in leadership. He argued that the shift to a southern president in 2023 was a natural progression following former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year term from 2015 to 2023. According to him, this rotation is not arbitrary but a deliberate understanding among Nigerians to ensure equitable representation across regions.
He stressed that the North should act with statesmanship and avoid challenging the zoning arrangement based solely on population size. “If we say we want to uproot the zoning arrangement because of our numbers, then my call for northerners is to understand how it works. They even understand more than I do,” Yari said, reinforcing the need for patience and mutual respect.
The former Zamfara State governor acknowledged that no government is perfect and pointed out that southerners also faced hardships during Buhari’s administration. He noted that challenges such as insecurity are not unique to Nigeria, citing gun violence in Chicago, United States, as evidence that even developed nations grapple with security issues. “No problem of a country is solved by any government, including even in the United States. They are managing insecurity as we are managing it,” he added.
On economic performance, Yari urged Nigerians to evaluate the Tinubu administration using objective indicators. He directed attention to the state of foreign reserves and inflation rates in 2023 compared to today, suggesting that progress should be assessed over time rather than through immediate expectations. He maintained that both federal and state governments are actively working to improve the economy and security situation.
Yari concluded by assuring northerners that the presidency will return to their region after Tinubu’s term ends in 2031, if the rotational principle remains intact. His appeal underscores the importance of maintaining national cohesion and allowing the current administration the space to implement its policies effectively. The call reflects broader efforts within the APC to promote unity and manage regional expectations ahead of future elections.
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