Power Rotation Debate Heats Up as Northern Groups Criticise Tinubu’s Performance, Eye 2027 Presidency

The long-standing, informal debate on power rotation in Nigeria has resurfaced with renewed intensity, as prominent political and socio-cultural groups from the Northern region openly criticise President Bola Tinubu’s scorecard and signal their intent to contest the 2027 presidency.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a leading Northern socio-political group, has been at the forefront of this criticism. In a scathing critique issued in June 2025, the ACF accused the Tinubu administration of being more preoccupied with its 2027 re-election plans than with the urgent task of governance. The group, through its National Publicity Secretary Professor Muhammad-Baba, condemned what it described as “ineffective public policy responses to insecurity, particularly in the North of Nigeria,” and called out alleged “reckless spending and budget padding” amidst severe economic hardship.

This sentiment is echoed by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and other coalitions. In statements made earlier in 2025, leaders of the Nineteen Seventeen Northern Consensus Movement and the Coalition of Northern Groups declared their opposition to a second term for President Tinubu, asserting that the North should field its own candidate for the 2027 presidential election. These groups have expressed regret over their support for the president in the 2023 elections, citing what they see as a failure to address the region’s core challenges.

The resurgence of the power rotation debate challenges the unwritten political convention in Nigeria that often affords a president a two-term tenure. Northern leaders are now arguing that the region has borne the brunt of the administration’s economic policies including the removal of the fuel subsidy and continues to grapple with worsening insecurity, particularly banditry and kidnapping. These grievances are now being used to justify a political push for a Northern candidate in the next election cycle.

As the country moves closer to the 2027 general elections, the position of these influential Northern groups is expected to significantly impact political calculations within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the broader political landscape. The emerging debate sets the stage for a potentially tense period of political negotiations and realignment as various stakeholders vie for power and influence.