Northern youth group backs Tinubu’s second term, urges respect for zoning

 

A northern youth group has called for President Bola Tinubu to complete an eight-year tenure for Nigeria’s southern region, urging politicians from the north not to contest the 2027 presidential election.

The Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) said its position was aimed at preserving national unity and respecting the country’s informal power-sharing arrangement between the north and south.

In a statement issued in Kaduna on Sunday, the group’s Speaker, Mohammed Salihu Danlami, said northern political actors should refrain from presenting themselves as candidates in 2027.

The assembly argued that during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, no major southern contender disrupted the north’s two-term tenure, and that the same principle should now apply.

It warned that any attempt to challenge the zoning arrangement could undermine cohesion, adding that those who do so would be seen as acting against fairness.

Beyond the political argument, the group pointed to what it described as key reforms under the Tinubu administration in the areas of the economy, security and infrastructure.

It said government policies had improved fiscal conditions, citing increased external reserves and a reduction in the debt service-to-revenue ratio, while also noting what it described as progress in tackling insecurity and expanding infrastructure.

The AYA maintained that these reforms require continuity to deliver long-term results and cautioned against disrupting them.

It also pledged support for Mr Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, while urging the government to better communicate its policies and achievements to the public.