The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume expressed optimism yesterday that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would sweep the votes in the North on January 16.
They spoke against the backdrop of claims by opposition figures that the President had lost support in the northern part of the country.
APC National Secretary Dr Ajibola Basiru said that despite the party having 31 governors including 18 of the 19 governors in the North and the support of two opposition governors who are members of its campaign council it would not underestimate the task ahead.
He spoke during an interview on a Channels Television programme last night.
Akume said the North would respect the North-South eight-year power rotation arrangement which entitles President Tinubu to a second term.
Basiru: why North will vote for Tinubu
Basiru said strong party structures the support of influential regional stakeholders and President Tinubu’s impactful programmes would secure victory for him at the poll.
He also identified the party’s expansive grassroots structures and formidable political alliances as major factors in its anticipated electoral success.
The APC national secretary said the party’s strength and performance in off-cycle elections pointed to a favourable outlook for 2027.
Citing the APC’s performance in elections since the 2023 general election Basiru said the party had recorded about 86 per cent success.
He said that although the party had lost some contests the setbacks would not pose a significant threat to its national electoral fortunes.
Basiru said the APC would not become complacent because of its previous victories adding that the ruling party would intensify efforts to promote President Tinubu’s candidacy and mobilise voters.
North as APC’s stronghold
Basiru identified Northern Nigeria as the APC’s strongest political base pointing to the party’s control of 18 of the region’s 19 states.
He said the support of northern governors and influential political figures would strengthen the President’s re-election campaign.
Basiru said prominent northern stakeholders had recently demonstrated their commitment to President Tinubu by contributing towards the provision of a campaign office.
He said students from the region would vote for the APC because they had benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Basiru said about 12.8 million Nigerians had registered as members of the APC adding that no opposition party had matched its membership strength.
He dismissed allegations that the APC was using financial inducements to attract opposition politicians challenging those making the claims to provide evidence.
He insisted that politicians who had defected to the ruling party had publicly explained their decisions. He said the APC relied on consultation and shared political interests rather than financial inducements.
He also defended the administration against allegations of political persecution saying criminal investigations should not be restricted by political considerations.
‘Why North can’t abandon zoning’
Akume told a visiting delegation of the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) Nigeria led by its Supreme Knight Sir Steve Adehi that northern presidential aspirants must respect the established sequence of power rotation.
He said that having completed eight years under former President Muhammadu Buhari the North should demonstrate political sincerity and commitment to national cohesion by allowing the South to complete its own eight-year cycle under the existing arrangement.
Akume said the zoning agreement was reached in Kaduna in 1999 following extensive consultations among Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors-elect and other prominent political leaders.
He spoke in a statement by the Head of Information and Public Relations in his office Chris Ugwuegbulam.
Akume recalled that the discussions were informed by concerns over the concentration of political power in one section of the country and growing dissatisfaction among stakeholders who believed that a deliberate mechanism was necessary to guarantee fairness and inclusion.
He explained that the leaders eventually agreed that presidential power should alternate between the North and the South in eight-year cycles beginning with the South as a practical means of promoting political balance and strengthening confidence among the country’s diverse groups.
He maintained that the agreement was not merely a convenient political arrangement but a fundamental understanding designed to preserve Nigeria’s territorial integrity deepen democratic governance and prevent any region from feeling excluded from the highest public office.
Akume said the principle had contributed significantly to the continuity of democratic governance by providing a framework for managing the country’s regional diversity and addressing competing political interests.
The SGF urged political stakeholders to resist attempts to subordinate the arrangement to individual ambitions.
He added that national unity fairness and mutual respect should take precedence over personal political calculations.
He said the North-South rotation principle should not be treated as a temporary political convenience that could be discarded whenever expedient but as an enduring political understanding rooted in the need to promote equity and safeguard national stability.
Akume called for greater understanding of the Federal Government’s ongoing economic reforms saying the administration’s development agenda must be assessed against immediate economic pressures and the long-term requirements of sustainable national growth.
He noted that addressing the country’s development challenges would require sustained cooperation among the federal state and local governments particularly in implementing policies and programmes aimed at improving citizens’ welfare.
The SGF commended the Knights of St. Mulumba for their humanitarian activities and contributions towards alleviating the suffering of vulnerable Nigerians describing such interventions as important complements to government efforts.
Adehi outlined several charitable initiatives undertaken by the organisation to support disadvantaged members of society.