Babangida Aliyu: Nigerians tolerated Buhari for 8 years — we can live with Tinubu till 2031

Babangida Aliyu, former governor of Niger state, says President Bola Tinubu should be allowed to secure a second term in office based on the power rotation gentleman’s agreement. 

BACKGROUND

The Nigerian presidency has typically oscillated between north and south every eight years since the country returned to civilian governance in 1999.

However, Umaru Yar’Adua’s death in 2010 momentarily bucked the trend, with Goodluck Jonathan, a southerner, completing the former’s tenure before winning a fresh term for himself a year later.

Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, was elected president in 2015 and completed his two-term of eight years in 2023. Bola Tinubu, from the south-west, ascended the throne as Buhari’s successor in 2023.

Tinubu’s first term would elapse in 2027.

There are speculations that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, a northern Muslim, would be seeking the African Democratic Congress’ (ADC) presidential ticket in a bid to succeed Tinubu in 2027.

The ADC is the platform recently adopted by the opposition coalition.

‘ADC SHOULDN’T CREATE PROBLEMS FOR THE NORTH’

Speaking on Thursday on ‘The Morning Show’, an Arise Television programme, Aliyu said northerners seeking power in 2027 on the ADC platform would be creating problems for the north.

“I have heard many of the presidential aspirants (in ADC) already saying they will serve one term,” he said.

“If a northerner says he’s serving one term, what problem is he creating for the north?

“If we could tolerate the late Muhammadu Buhari for eight years, oh my God, let’s try it… maybe by 2031, we can jettison the arrangement if we find it convenient.

“For now, only governors and lawmakers are defecting. By 2031, you may end up with a presidential defection. Is that not a constitutional issue?

“So, for me, who will win the election will depend on what happens in the next one and a half years.

“And that is to say, if the government can correct some of the observable anomalies, I don’t see a problem.”

On the prospect of the ADC unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tinubu, Aliyu challenged opposition parties to present credible alternatives.

“My argument has always been, what is the alternative? What is it if you want to remove this or that government or that governor or that president? What is the alternative that you’re offering to the people?” he asked.

‘COMMUNICATION GAP’

Aliyu also said there is a significant communication gap between the government and citizens.

He added that government officials have been either reluctant or ineffectual in conveying milestones to the public.

The chairman, board of trustees for the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF), said many government agencies and institutions have performed well but the public remains largely unaware.

“You do not depend only on the ministry of information to be able to communicate with the citizens. Every minister, every head of a parastatal, should be able to tell the people what they have been doing,” he said.

“In other words, the government needs to be more of an advocate.

“What we have seen so far is that the government is doing well, but they do not, or the government does not know how to communicate very well.”