It's unpatriotic to expect return of power to North in 2027

Ambassadors-designate, Reno Omokri and Chief Femi Fani-Kayode said the presidency must remain in Southern Nigeria until 2031 for the sake of Nigeria’s progress and equilibrium.

The Nigerian envoys to Mexico and South Africa respectively made this known in a statement shared on X by Omokri.

They argued that with President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, having completed two terms of eight years in 2023, it would be unpatriotic and inimical to the unity, equilibrium, and progress of Nigeria for anyone to conceive of power returning to Northern Nigeria in 2027.

They noted that President Bola Tinubu should be supported to return to office.

The statement reads, “In view of recent political events, it has become necessary and expedient for us, Ambassadors Designate Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and Mr. Bemigho Reno Omokri, to state categorically that we believe it is in the best interest of the stability, unity, and prosperity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and in keeping with the Gentleman’s Agreement, which ushered in our Fourth Republic in 1999, after sixteen years of turbulence and political instability, for there to be a balanced and orderly rotation of power in Nigeria, between the North and the South.

“We further affirm that, having completed and made full and unfettered use of two terms of four years, under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, Northern Nigeria, with the support of patriots from Southern Nigeria, had its full, uninterrupted, and undisturbed tenure in this power rotation arrangement.

“And that, after that tenure, it is the turn of Southern Nigeria to take and retain the baton of power for a commensurate period of time, to wit, two terms of four years each.

“As such, we view it as unpatriotic and inimical to the unity, equilibrium, and progress of Nigeria for anyone to even conceive of power returning to Northern Nigeria after only one term of four years, during which it was domiciled in Southern Nigeria. And not just in Southern Nigeria, but in the specific hands of the man who was the chief architect for the return of power to the North in 2015.”

According to them, Tinubu’s return is necessitated by the visible impact he has made on the economy in his first term.

“We are of the opinion that one good turn deserves another and that one good term deserves another.

“Therefore, we make bold to state that our candidate and choice for the 2027 Presidential Elections is His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has, in the last three years, delivered 12 cycles of GDP growth and trade surpluses, while adding $67 billion to our economy and making Nigeria the sixth largest contributor to global GDP growth in 2025,” they said.

The envoys urged the political class to follow the 211-year power rotation arrangement in Switzerland, saying this has contributed to the European nation’s stability and prosperity.

They further call on all Nigerians, irrespective of region, religion, and communion, to back Tinubu’s second term bid.