Ahead of the 2027 general election, a northern coalition under the North Central Renaissance Movement (NCRM) has raised concerns about the ongoing marginalization of the North Central zone and called for a shift of power to the region.
In a communiqué released after their meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the NCRM highlighted that the zone, comprising Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara, and the FCT-Abuja, has never produced an elected president or vice president since Nigeria’s independence, and should be given the opportunity to occupy the presidency.
The coalition further stated that if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) decides to give President Bola Tinubu the right of first refusal for the party’s ticket in 2027, his running mate must come from the North Central, while other political parties should also feature presidential candidates from the zone.
The chairman of the NCRM, Prof. Nghargbu K’tso, expressed his discontent with the fact that no one from the North Central has held the offices of president or vice president since independence. He noted that the zone has produced the highest number of national party chairmen since 1999, but this position does not come with the constitutional powers to directly impact governance and development.
K’tso pointed out that Nigeria’s military interregnums were different from democratic processes, and emphasized that the North Central zone’s exclusion from the presidency and vice presidency since 1999 is the most glaring example of political marginalization in the Fourth Republic.
He contrasted the North Central’s situation with that of the Southeast, which has had Dr. Alex Ekwueme as vice president in the past, and highlighted the North Central’s longstanding support for presidential candidates from other northern zones.
The NCRM urged political leaders in the region to aim higher, asserting that the North Central is not a “second-class” citizen in Nigeria and deserves to have candidates for both the presidency and vice presidency in the upcoming 2027 elections. They called on political parties, especially the APC and PDP, to ensure that their candidates for these positions come from the North Central.
The coalition concluded by reiterating that the demand for equity, fairness, and justice must be addressed, and that the North Central must be granted the opportunity to produce Nigeria’s next president in 2027.
