Willies Ugo, Gombe
A socio-political group, Forward Nigeria, has kicked off its political advocacy campaign with a call on Northern Nigeria political stakeholders to respect the gentleman power shift arrangement between the North and South.
Co-Convener of the group, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, who is also the Kano State Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs, made the call at the formal unveiling of the group held at Barcelona Hotel Abuja, over the weekend.
Membership of Forward Nigeria cuts across all parts of Nigeria and Comrade Ibrahim Waiya said the group is of the view that since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999, the North-South power rotation has been maintained between the two regions with a view to fostering national unity and even development across the country.
The group is therefore urging political stakeholders in the North to respect the principle of power rotation and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to complete the eight-year presidential tenure before the North seeks to reclaim power.
According to Comrade Waiya, returning the presidency to the North after only one term would undermine the principle of power rotation and risk reopening sectional tensions that have historically shaped Nigeria’s presidential politics.
Waiya argued that the North should not seek to claim presidency in 2027 after only four years of the current administration, insisting that allowing Tinubu to complete the eight years would provide political continuity and give his Government time to consolidate its policies, programmes and projects initiated for the overall progress and developmentof Nigeria.
He urged Northern political stakeholders to place the broader principle of national balance above immediate electoral calculations saying, “Nigerians should focus on governance and development rather than allowing the 2027 contest to revive sectional divisions”.
Waiya said, “the Tinubu administration inherited enormous economic and security challenges in 2023 and had since introduced measures which, were putting the country on a different trajectory”.
He cited Local Government autonomy, increased financial resources accruing to sub-national Governments and moves towards establishing State police structures as reforms that could strengthen governance and security.
Waiya disclosed that Kano State had already established a State Police implementation committee, which he added could contribute to job creation and improved security when fully implemented.
Waiya described “Nigeria Forward” as a bridge between policy and people as well as a platform for bottom to top citizens engagement insisting that the NF was not owned by any particular political party but has been dedicated to all Nigerians.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology and co-convener of the movement, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, said the Federal Government’s reforms were designed to move Nigeria from infrastructure and connectivity to production, jobs and prosperity.
He said Nigeria’s development story, particularly in the North, should not be reduced to political slogans, urging citizens to examine what was being built, where projects were located, the problems they were solving and who stood to benefit.
Tochukwu Udeh said infrastructure should be judged by its practical impact, noting that roads should connect farmers to markets while railways should reduce the cost of transporting goods. He identified energy and digital connectivity as important to expanding opportunities for young Nigerians.
He described the administration’s development trajectory as “reform to infrastructure, infrastructure to connectivity, connectivity to production, production to jobs and jobs to prosperity,” and called on Nigerians to support Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 to consolidate the reforms.
He urged Nigeria Forward members to make evidence, inclusiveness, innovation and national unity the foundation of their activities, saying the platform’s message of “Together We Move Nigeria Forward” should translate into a commitment to service, citizenship and national development.