The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has reiterated the need for political stakeholders to respect the power rotation arrangement between Northern and Southern Nigeria, describing it as a fundamental understanding that has sustained national cohesion, fairness and the growth of democracy since the return to civilian rule in 1999.
The SGF made the call while receiving a delegation from the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) Nigeria, led by its Supreme Knight, Sir Steve Adehi, on Wednesday in Abuja, according to a statement by his Head, Information & Public Relations, Chris Ugwuegbulam.
He recalled that the agreement was reached in Kaduna in 1999 following extensive consultations between governors-elect on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and prominent political leaders who recognised the need for equitable distribution of political power to preserve Nigeria’s unity.
Akume said the leaders eventually agreed that presidential power should alternate between the North and the South in eight-year cycles, beginning with the South, as a practical measure to promote political balance, strengthen mutual trust and safeguard the country’s territorial integrity.
According to him, the discussions were driven by concerns over the concentration of political power in one part of the country and the growing dissatisfaction among stakeholders who believed that a deliberate arrangement was necessary to ensure fairness and national inclusion.
The SGF noted that the arrangement has contributed to the continuity of democratic governance by providing a framework for managing the country’s regional diversity and ensuring that neither part of the country feels permanently excluded from the highest political office.
He stressed that the principle of power rotation should not be treated as a temporary political convenience but as an important political understanding rooted in the need for fairness, mutual respect and national stability.
Akume also frowned at attempts by Northern aspirants to contest the presidency before the completion of the South’s current eight-year tenure, insisting that the North should respect the established sequence and allow the arrangement to run its course.
He maintained that, following the eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, of blessed memory, a Southerner’s current tenure should be respected in line with the principle of alternating power between the two regions.
While thanking the delegation from the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba for its charitable interventions aimed at improving the welfare of vulnerable members of society, SGF emphasised that the government’s development agenda must be assessed against both immediate economic pressures and the long-term requirements of national growth.
He called for a broader understanding of ongoing reforms and investments, noting that sustained collaboration among the Federal, State and Local Governments would be essential to addressing the country’s challenges and improving the welfare of citizens.
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