By Rabiu Sanusi
Nigeria Forward (NF), a socio-political group, has called on political stakeholders in Northern Nigeria to respect the country’s established North-South power rotation arrangement and allow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to complete his constitutionally permitted eight-year tenure.
The call was made by the Co-Convener of Nigeria Forward and Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, during the formal unveiling of the group held at Barcelona Hotel, Abuja, on Friday.
Waiya said Nigeria Forward, which draws its membership from across the country, believes that the North-South power-sharing arrangement maintained since the return to democratic rule in 1999 has contributed to national unity and political stability.
He urged Northern political stakeholders not to seek the presidency in 2027 after only one term of the current administration, arguing that allowing the President to complete eight years would preserve the principle of political rotation and provide continuity in governance.
According to him, prematurely seeking to return the presidency to the North could undermine the understanding surrounding power rotation and potentially revive sectional tensions that have historically characterised presidential politics in the country.
Waiya said completing the administration’s tenure would also give the Federal Government additional time to consolidate policies, programmes and projects already initiated, stressing that political calculations should not be allowed to overshadow the broader interests of national development.
He noted that the Tinubu administration inherited significant economic and security challenges when it assumed office in 2023 but said the government had introduced reforms in areas including local government autonomy, increased financial resources for sub-national governments and moves towards the establishment of state police structures.
The Kano Commissioner disclosed that Kano State had already established a State Police Implementation Committee, saying the initiative, when fully implemented, could create employment opportunities and strengthen security across the state.
Waiya, however, cautioned against reducing the challenges confronting Northern Nigeria to presidential politics alone, stressing that addressing poverty and underdevelopment requires the collective efforts of citizens, state and local governments, and other stakeholders.
“Democracy is a social contract,” he said.
He described Nigeria Forward as a bridge between government policies and citizens, as well as a platform for bottom-to-top citizen engagement, insisting that the movement was not owned by any particular political party.
He called on Nigerians to place national interest, unity and development above sectional considerations.
Also speaking, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology and Co-Convener of the movement, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, said the Federal Government’s reform agenda was aimed at moving Nigeria from infrastructure and connectivity to production, job creation and prosperity.
He said Nigeria Forward would provide citizens with more information on government projects, investments, opportunities and the impact of policies in their communities.
Udeh urged Nigerians, particularly those in the North, to assess development beyond political slogans by examining what is being built, where projects are located, the problems they address and the people who stand to benefit.
He said infrastructure should have practical economic value, with roads connecting farmers to markets and railways helping to reduce the cost of transporting goods.
The Minister identified energy and digital connectivity as critical to expanding opportunities for young Nigerians and described the administration’s development trajectory as: “reform to infrastructure, infrastructure to connectivity, connectivity to production, production to jobs and jobs to prosperity.”
He called on Nigerians to support the continuation of the reforms while urging members of Nigeria Forward to make evidence, inclusiveness, innovation and national unity the foundation of their activities under the slogan, “Together We Move Nigeria Forward.”
