A group of Northern elders has issued a stern warning to Bola Tinubu, saying that they will not vote for him in the 2027 general elections if he relocates some key national institutions from Abuja to Lagos or any other part of the South.
The Katsina Elders’ Forum, a body of influential leaders in former President Buhari’s home state, accused Tinubu of trying to undermine the development and stability of the North by moving certain departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to Lagos, the commercial capital of the country.
The Secretary of the forum, Aliyu Mohammed, told reporters on Wednesday evening that the forum had reached a unanimous resolution after a closed-door meeting to oppose Tinubu’s relocation plan, which he described as “unconstitutional” and “anti-North”.
Mohammed said, “Therefore, we are warning Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as long as he is interested in coming back in 2027, as long as he is interested in the votes of the Northerners, to reverse these unconstitutional decisions. Whoever is advising him to take such decisions is an enemy of the country.
“Such a person is not interested in the Nigerian project. And the North is not afraid of telling Tinubu to his face that we are not ready to re-elect him in 2027 once he starts moving all these critical departments to Lagos.”
The forum’s statement comes amid growing tensions between the North and the South over the distribution of power and resources in the country.
Tinubu, who was elected in 2023, has faced criticism from some Northern politicians and groups for allegedly favoring his Southern allies and neglecting the interests of the North.