George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has told Northern politicians to respect the North-South power-sharing arrangement and allow the South to complete eight years in the presidency before pursuing the office in 2027. Akume stated this in Abuja while receiving members of the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba Nigeria, led […]
George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has told Northern politicians to respect the North-South power-sharing arrangement and allow the South to complete eight years in the presidency before pursuing the office in 2027.
Akume stated this in Abuja while receiving members of the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba Nigeria, led by Supreme Knight Sir Steve Adehi. He argued that the power-rotation arrangement was established to promote fairness, political balance and national unity following Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999.
According to the SGF, the understanding originated from consultations in Kaduna involving PDP governors-elect and prominent political leaders. He said those discussions produced an agreement for presidential power to alternate between the North and South in eight-year cycles, beginning with the South.
Akume explained that the arrangement was intended to address concerns about one region dominating the highest political office. He said it was also designed to strengthen mutual trust and ensure that neither the North nor the South felt permanently shut out of the presidency.
He criticised Northern presidential aspirants seeking to contest the 2027 election before the South completes its current tenure. The SGF maintained that politicians should respect the sequence agreed upon by earlier leaders instead of pursuing power before the current eight-year period ends.
The government official cited Buhari’s eight years in office as part of his argument, saying the South should similarly be allowed to complete its tenure. His position backs the argument that Tinubu should serve a second term before the presidency returns to a Northern candidate, although the rotation arrangement he described is a political understanding rather than a constitutional term-limit provision.
Akume further argued that the power-sharing principle should not be treated as a convenient political tool that can be discarded whenever circumstances change. He described it as an important understanding founded on fairness, mutual respect and national stability.
Beyond the political discussion, Akume commended the Knights of St. Mulumba for their charitable activities. Adehi said the organisation had helped pay for patients’ medical treatment, supported inmates who could not meet financial obligations linked to their release, provided boreholes, renovated schools and offered assistance to hospitals.
Adehi said the group’s work was driven by the recognition that government could not meet every social need without support from private organisations and community initiatives. Akume also stressed the importance of cooperation among the three tiers of government, saying sustained collaboration was necessary to improve citizens’ welfare and support Nigeria’s long-term development.