Two ambassador-designates of President Bola Tinubu, Femi Fani-Kayode and Reno Omokri, have opposed any move to return presidential power to Northern Nigeria before 2031, insisting that such a development would undermine the nation’s power-sharing arrangement.
The duo, in a joint statement issued on Saturday, declared their support for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, arguing that the South should complete two terms in office in line with the rotational understanding that has shaped Nigeria’s democratic system since 1999.
Fani-Kayode, ambassador-designate to South Africa, and Omokri, ambassador-designate to Mexico, maintained that the North had already enjoyed two uninterrupted terms under former President Muhammadu Buhari with the backing of the South.
According to them, allowing power to return to the North after only one southern term would be unfair and detrimental to national unity.
The statement described any attempt to truncate the South’s tenure as contrary to the spirit of balance and equity that has sustained the Fourth Republic.
They also noted that Tinubu played a major role in facilitating the North’s return to power in 2015, stressing that political reciprocity demanded support for his administration beyond a single term.
“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,” the statement partly read.
The ambassador-designates argued that the informal zoning arrangement between the North and South remained critical to the country’s political stability after years of turbulence before the return to democratic rule in 1999.
They further stated that Northern Nigeria had fully utilised its opportunity through Buhari’s eight-year administration and should allow the South to complete its turn.
On the economy, the duo credited Tinubu’s administration with sustained economic growth, claiming that the government had recorded consecutive GDP growth cycles and improved trade performance.
They also highlighted major infrastructure projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Illela-Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway and the Trans-Saharan Road project, describing them as initiatives aimed at strengthening national integration.
Fani-Kayode and Omokri urged Nigerians across political, ethnic and religious divides to support Tinubu’s second-term ambition, expressing confidence that the administration could transform Nigeria into a $1tn economy by 2031.
Drawing comparisons with Switzerland, they argued that structured power-sharing among diverse groups had helped maintain political stability and national cohesion in the European country for over two centuries.
The statement ended with a strong endorsement of Tinubu’s re-election, describing it as necessary for the country’s continued progress and stability.
