By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Senator George Akume, has called on northern politicians to respect the power rotation arrangement between the North and the South and allow the South complete its eight-year tenure in the presidency.
In a statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the SGF, Chris Ugwuegbulam, Akume described the arrangement as “a fundamental understanding that has sustained national cohesion, fairness and the growth of democracy since the return to civilian rule in 1999.”
He spoke on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving a delegation of the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba KSM Nigeria, led by its Supreme Knight, Sir Steve Adehi.
The SGF 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.”
According to the statement, the leaders 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.”
Akume said the talks were driven by concerns over the concentration of political power in one part of the country, and by growing dissatisfaction among stakeholders who believed a deliberate arrangement was necessary “to ensure fairness and national inclusion.”
He said the arrangement had contributed to the continuity of democratic governance by providing a framework for managing the country’s regional diversity, so that neither part of the country feels “permanently excluded from the highest political office.”
The SGF frowned at attempts by Northern aspirants to contest the presidency before the South completes its current eight-year tenure. He insisted that the North should respect the established sequence and allow the arrangement to “run its course.”
He maintained that, after the eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari, “of blessed memory,” a Southerner’s current tenure should be respected in line with the principle of alternating power between the two regions.
Akume thanked the delegation for its charitable interventions aimed at improving the welfare of vulnerable members of society.
Earlier, Adehi disclosed that the Knights had supported medical treatment for patients, assisted inmates with outstanding financial obligations to facilitate their release from correctional facilities, provided boreholes, renovated schools and supported hospitals.
Adehi explained that the interventions were motivated by the recognition that government alone could not address the numerous social and economic challenges confronting the population. He stressed the importance of complementing government efforts through private philanthropy, partnerships and community-based initiatives.
The SGF said 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 improving the welfare of citizens.
Akume 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.”
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