The President-General of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yerima Shettima, has clarified that the northern region has not yet made a decision regarding its support for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid in 2027. In an interview with Punch, Shettima explained that discussions are still ongoing as the region continues to assess Tinubu’s performance in office.
Shettima’s statement comes after comments from the suspended National Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Mamman Osuman, who recently suggested that the north may support a candidate from the region against Tinubu in the 2027 election in order to “save the north and the country from hardship.”
Acknowledging the criticisms of Tinubu’s administration from some segments of the north, Shettima emphasized the importance of allowing grievances to be voiced. However, he made it clear that the region had not reached a consensus on whether to support Tinubu’s re-election, highlighting that the deliberations within the north are focused on evaluating his ability to address key issues such as security, economic stability, and social welfare.
“The north has not taken any position against Tinubu yet,” Shettima asserted. “But those who are not satisfied with his government have the right to voice their anger against him. As it stands today, there is no collective decision by the north on Tinubu. Some of our people are saying Tinubu should change some of his policies and come up with more friendly ones that will put smiles on the faces of Nigerians, and that is what we are encouraging him to do.”
Shettima also rejected the notion that the north had formed a unified opposition to Tinubu’s administration. “Anyone who tells you that the north has ganged up against Tinubu is lying,” he said. “We have not arrived at that decision yet, and I don’t think we are getting there yet because some of us believe that the government can still do something.”
On the potential for the north to field a candidate against Tinubu in 2027, Shettima stated that he would support a northern candidate to succeed Tinubu after his term, provided that the candidate performs well during his time in office. “Why wouldn’t I want somebody from the north to succeed Tinubu?” Shettima asked. “I want somebody from the north to succeed Tinubu after eight years if he does well. But if he doesn’t do well, in the next election, we will all collectively come out to work against him.”
However, Shettima emphasized that it was too early to consider such a move. “For now, there is no reason to begin to gang up and think of anything in that form,” he concluded.
In sum, Shettima’s comments reflect a nuanced approach within the north regarding the 2027 election, with discussions focused on evaluating the current administration’s performance and allowing space for concerns to be addressed before any definitive decisions are made.
