Elder statesman Alhaji Tanko Yakassai has stated that the North cannot decide who would be president in 2027 on its own as the anti-Tinubu coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar gains traction in the North.
This comes after the League of Northern Democrats stated yesterday that the organisation’s goal is to fix the nation, not take it.
As you may remember, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, President Bola Tinubu’s former Special Adviser on Political Matters, recently announced that the North will shortly determine its political course in advance of the general elections in 2027.
Baba-Ahmed had emphasised that without the backing of the Northern region, no politician could win the presidency of Nigeria.
“No politician can become president without Northern support, making the region’s stance crucial to any aspirant’s success,” he had said.
But in an interview, Yakassai, a founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and a former liaison officer to the late President Shehu Shagari, pointed out that neither the North nor the South could decide who would become president of Nigeria.
Speaking against the backdrop of a growing coalition against the Tinubu Presidency, Yakassai said, “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.”
Emphasising his earlier position, Yakasai declared that though the North plays a critical role in the emergence of a president, it cannot make the decision alone.
The elder statesman said, “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.”
