A member of the House of Representatives, Aminu Jaji, on Thursday, cautioned that it is premature for the former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje and other prominent Nigerians to be trading words over the 2027 elections.
The Zamfara lawmaker made the appeal at the unveiling of the ‘One Nigeria’ project held in Abuja by the National Association of Former Local Government Council Chairmen in Nigeria.
The plot to stop the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027 heightened in the past few weeks with pressure coming from Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; the Arewa Consultative Forum and some northern chieftains.
Their anger was further fuelled by Tuesday’s warning from Ganduje that northern politicians nursing presidential ambition in 2027 should bury the idea.
According to the APC national chair, it would be unfair to deny the President the chance of being re-elected after a fellow northerner was allowed to finish his own tenure of eight years.
El-Rufai, on the other hand, claimed that the relationship between the President and the north has deteriorated, warning that he might be given the Goodluck Jonathan’s treatment ahead of the 2027 elections.
While urging opposing politicians not to heat the polity, Jaji expressed disappointment that the campaign is coming at a time when the current administration of President Tinubu has barely spent two years in office.
He said, “I think he (El-Rufai) is more concerned about 2027 because of the way and manner the current administration is going about its robust policies. Perhaps he was also carried away by the way the opposition is looking at 2027. But I think 2027 is not here yet, even though it is close.
“But we as Nigerians must learn to put the country first before any other interest. For instance, Americans practise policy election. But we in Nigeria conduct unity elections all the time. This is why I believe 2027 may not be different
“Our national interest has increasingly been undermined by divisive politics, with unity, which should be our guiding principle, often overshadowed by sentiments. This division poses a serious threat to the security, peace, and stability of our nation.”
Earlier in his speech, NALGON National Chairman, Shaba Ibrahim acknowledged the strides of the President in addressing critical issues such as insecurity and economic crisis.
“His reforms to improve economic stability and security are commendable. We are confident that these efforts will help transition Nigeria from recession to prosperity. As grassroots politicians, we commend his commitment to local government autonomy, which demonstrates his political will to strengthen democracy and create a more inclusive governance system.
“We also commend the support of our Board of Trustees led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, for their invaluable contribution to the One Nigeria Project. We recognise the efforts of the National Security Advisor, Nuhu Ribadu, and security agencies for their role in maintaining peace and protecting lives across Nigeria.”
