2027: Akume, six North-Central APC govs back Tinubu, Shettima …. Insist on eight-year power rotation between North, South

Senator George Akume 
Secretary to the Government of the Federation 

.... As Akume urges political stakeholders to respect the eight-year power rotation arrangement between the North and South, arguing that the understanding reached by political leaders in Kaduna in 1999 was designed to promote political balance, equity and national cohesion.

Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital was agog on Saturday as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, alongside six All Progressives Congress, APC, governors from the North-Central region endorsed President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima for a second term in 2027.

The endorsement was announced at the North-Central Grand Rally held in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Saturday, where political leaders from the region pledged to mobilise grassroots support for the re-election bid of the president and his deputy.

(Right) Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, CON, rallying support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu/ Vice President Kashim Shettima's re-election at North-Central Region APC Grand Rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State on Saturday, 10th October, 2026.

Akume, who is the Grand Patron of the North-Central Grassroots Mobilisation Network for Tinubu/Shettima 2027, proposed Tinubu as the region’s sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election, a motion supported by the APC governors and other party stakeholders.

“By the authority of this great congregation, I, Senator George Akume, hereby propose that the people of the North-Central States meeting here have resolved that, come 2027, our sole candidate is His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. There is no other candidate,” he declared.

The SGF urged political stakeholders to respect the eight-year power rotation arrangement between the North and South, arguing that the understanding reached by political leaders in Kaduna in 1999 was designed to promote political balance, equity and national cohesion.

He said Tinubu should be allowed to complete his constitutionally permissible eight-year tenure, stressing the need for continuity in national leadership.

The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, flanked by APC Women Faithfuls and Stakeholders addressing the crowd at the North Central APC Grand Rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State on Saturday, 10th October, 2026.

Defending the administration’s record, Akume cited major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the proposed Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, as evidence of its commitment to economic transformation and improved connectivity across the country.

He also pointed to increased allocations to state and local governments, saying the policy had strengthened the capacity of subnational administrations to address development challenges.

On the removal of petrol subsidy, the SGF described the decision as one requiring political courage, cautioning against campaign promises to reverse the policy without carefully considering the economic consequences.

Akume further highlighted the establishment of additional universities and the introduction of student loans as measures aimed at expanding access to tertiary education, particularly for young Nigerians from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, HE. Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, (6th right), the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, CON, (3rd right), Executive Governors of the North-Central Region and other APC Stakeholders singing the National Anthem at the APC North Central Grand Rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State on Saturday, 10th October, 2026.

In his remarks, Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, who chairs the North-Central Governors’ Forum, formally seconded the motion for Tinubu and Shettima’s re-election on behalf of the APC governors in the region.

Sule, who listed Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa states, alongside the Federal Capital Territory, as part of the regional mobilisation, attributed improvements in oil production, foreign reserves and capitalisation to the Tinubu administration.

He also cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, and ongoing infrastructure projects as reasons the president deserved a second term.

The APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, called on the people of the North-Central region to sustain their support for the party at all levels, assuring First Lady Oluremi Tinubu of the region’s commitment to the president’s re-election.

Yilwatda said Tinubu had undertaken initiatives he considered unprecedented in the North-Central region and urged party members to intensify mobilisation from the national level to the grassroots.

The First Lady, who conveyed her husband's goodwill message to the region, said the administration remained committed to national security, unity and economic prosperity.

Referring to Tinubu’s October 1 Independence Day address, titled “From Reforms to Prosperity,” she said the government’s reform agenda was intended to lay the foundation for improved economic conditions and shared prosperity.

Also speaking, Imo State Governor and Secretary of the Presidential Campaign Council for Tinubu’s re-election, Hope Uzodimma, reaffirmed the APC and Progressive Governors Forum’s commitment to mobilising support for the president ahead of the 2027 general election.

Uzodimma said his presence at the rally demonstrated solidarity with the North-Central region and the determination of party leaders to strengthen collaboration with governors and grassroots supporters.

The six APC governors from the region subsequently took turns to pledge their support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket and vowed to work towards the election of APC candidates across all levels in 2027.