By Hamilton Nwosu
Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has appealed to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, among other northern political leaders eyeing the presidency in 2027, to exercise patience and wait until 2031.
Akume, who spoke at a two-day interactive session on government-citizens’ engagement in Kaduna on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, said the importance of upholding national unity and adhering to an informal rotational presidency is to nature stability.
The event, with the theme “Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizens’ Engagement for National Unity,” was organized by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation.
Akume said the government of President Bola Tinubu had spent two years and two months, underlying that its achievements were fundamental and remarkable.
He said: “Tinubu promised impartiality in governance and he has done that without breaking the promise.
“There is a need to encourage someone who is doing well, so that he can do more.
“There is a lot of misinformation in some aspects of the media.
“Tinubu has strengthened the security architecture in the country, revitalised agriculture with progressive initiatives.
“We have witnessed intervention that led to a reduction in prices of food produce, improved food security, and infrastructure across the country.”
Akume said that Tinubu was on course to take Nigeria to the promised land, adding: “I will urge politicians from the Northern Region to wait till 2031.
“Do not join a group that will stagnate the various developments achieved by President Tinubu.
“The president had positively touched all parts of the country and every citizen.
“The removal of fuel subsidy has now provided more funds to the government at the sub-national levels to carry out huge projects and deliver quality dividends of democracy.”
He further noted: “Tinubu has laid a foundation stone for New Nigeria through visionary leadership and commitment to bring dividends of democracy to all citizens and regions of the country without bias.
“Tinubu has appointed so many people from the Northern Region to work with him, and they are doing well.
“The narrative that the North is not carried alone is not true. The Super Highway from Sokoto to Bagary is longer than that of Lagos-Calabar.
“However, the contract for the road, from Akwanga through Jos, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba, and other parts of the Northern Region will soon be awarded.”
