112
By Myke Agunwa
Following the boastful statement credited to former Senior Special Adviser to the President on Political Matter, Dr. Hakim Baba-Ahmed that the North will soon determine who will become the next President, elder statesmen and founding member of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Tanko Yakassai said that neither the north alone nor any region can determine who becomes the next President.
Recall that former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, recently declared that the North will soon define its political direction, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Baba-Ahmed had stressed that no politician can win Nigerian presidency without support from the Northern region.
“No politician can become president without Northern support, making the region’s stance crucial to any aspirant’s success,” he stated.
Reacting to the assumptions, Yakassai, a former Liaison Officer to late President Shehu Shagari and founding member of Arewa Consultative Forum, who spoke with some journalists on Monday noted that neither the North nor the South could determine who emerges Nigeria’s president.
“The presidential election is a national affair. Any presidential election is a national issue; the North alone cannot determine who becomes President; the South alone cannot make it. The South and North must come together with a formidable candidate to get it done.
“When I mean a formidable candidate, it means apart from someone with the popularity, he must have the financial clout. Elections in Nigeria now involve a lot of money. Unfortunately, people with money in Nigeria do not like to sponsor any candidate. You must have enough money to put yourself there but don’t rely on others.”
He said that though the North plays a critical role in the emergence of a president, it cannot make the decision alone without the support of other regions.
“Like I said, the North alone cannot decide who becomes President in 2027 but it will play a very important role because of its numbers. Of course, other factors will make it possible for a presidential candidate to emerge and win elections in this country. Those factors include acceptability and support by the stakeholders” Yakassai said.
Also in his view, National Publicity Secretary of ACF, Prof. Tukur Mohammed Baba, said the forum had no control over who would win the presidential election noting that no one could be president on the basis of regional voting alone.
‘’In 2027, ACF views the statement as a personal opinion of Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed to which he is entitled. Whether or not it will come to pass, we don’t know.
‘’ACF as an organisation has no control over that. But we do know that no one can be president on the basis solely of regional voting alone, as the constitutional requirements require what is essentially a pan-regional spread of support at some minimum level.
‘’Again, whatever anyone thinks, it is the voter, if allowed to vote without interference, manipulation or other electoral malfeasance, that will determine the outcome. So basically, we need to wait to see how things eventually pan out” he said.