Zulum: North Struck Deal With South for Eight-Year Rotational Presidency, Must Honour Commitment

…Wants North to back Tinubu till 2031, reclaim power for unbroken eight years till 2039

By Abu Adamu
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has declared that the principle of power rotation between the North and South must be respected, insisting that the presidency should return to Northern Nigeria in 2031 after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu completes a second term.

Zulum said Northern political leaders had reached an understanding with their Southern counterparts to allow the South to complete its turn in the Presidency, describing the agreement as a commitment that the North must honour in the interest of national unity, political stability, and peaceful coexistence.

Speaking in Kaduna on Sunday after a meeting with Northern women Ulama and Islamic scholars, the governor made it clear that, as far as the understanding was concerned, the North would support Tinubu through 2027 and thereafter determine its political future when power is expected to rotate back in 2031.

“We have negotiated with our Southern brothers and sisters and we have made a commitment. We should allow the South to complete its tenure and then we will decide our political future,” Zulum said.

His remarks represent one of the clearest statements yet by a prominent Northern governor on the emerging 2027 power equation and the expectation that Tinubu should be allowed to complete two terms before the presidency returns to the North.

Zulum recalled that Northern leaders had deliberately worked over the past five years to build greater unity in the region and argued that the North, having supported the emergence of a Southern president, should not now abandon the principle of rotation for short-term political considerations.

“About five years ago, we decided to ensure unity in Nigeria, and we have achieved our objective,” he said.

The governor cautioned political actors against allowing the contest for power to undermine relations between the country’s two broad regions, noting that Northern leaders had themselves benefited from Southern support in the past and had also backed Southern candidates when circumstances demanded it.

“I speak from the heart, not out of fear of anyone, but in the name of God,” he declared.

Zulum consequently urged Northerners and Nigerians generally to support the Tinubu administration and give the President sufficient opportunity to implement policies designed to tackle insecurity, poverty, and other socio-economic problems confronting the country.

He disclosed that Northern leaders had recently held extensive discussions on some of the region’s most pressing challenges, particularly insecurity, poverty, and the alarming number of out-of-school children, saying far-reaching decisions had been taken.

Beyond the 2027 political calculations, Zulum appealed to Northern women and Islamic scholars to become important agents of peace and social stability in their communities.

He said women occupied a particularly influential position in shaping children, families, and communities and should therefore be empowered to contribute more effectively to efforts aimed at strengthening peace and responsible citizenship.

“Women should be given the opportunity to nurture their children so they can live in peace,” the governor said.

He also counselled Nigerians to remain patient despite current economic and social difficulties, invoking Islamic teachings on perseverance in periods of adversity.

“Whenever God tests us with a trial, patience is necessary before relief comes,” he said.

Zulum particularly highlighted the electoral weight of women in the North, revealing that women account for an estimated 60 to 65 per cent of votes cast in Borno State.

He urged them to deploy that enormous political influence responsibly by promoting unity, peaceful participation, and stability rather than allowing partisan differences to fracture communities.

The governor called for similar engagements with women Ulama and Islamic scholars to be replicated across Northern states, expressing confidence that sustained dialogue, regional cooperation, and adherence to political commitments would help strengthen both the North and the Nigerian federation.