David Arin, Jos
DAILY COURIER - As the race for the 2027 presidential election gathers momentum, political stakeholders and party leaders from the North Central geopolitical zone have made a bold declaration: the region will no longer settle for political obscurity. At a high-profile press conference in Abuja, representatives from the six states of the North Central region—Benue, Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, Niger, and Nasarawa—as well as the Federal Capital Territory, demanded that the region must produce either the next President or, at the very least, the Vice President.
The coalition, under the banner of the North Central Renaissance Movement, argued that the zone has suffered 65 years of political marginalization. They asserted that if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) intends to retain power beyond 2027, it must prioritize fairness and inclusion by selecting a running mate from the North Central, should President Bola Ahmed Tinubu seek re-election.
Speaking at the press conference, the Chairman of the North Central Renaissance Movement, Prof. Nghargbu K’tso, lamented that the region has been relegated to a mere spectator in Nigeria’s political landscape, despite being home to the nation’s capital and contributing significantly to national development.
“As Nigeria prepares to mark 65 years as an independent nation by October 1, 2025, it will also mark 65 years of the North Central zone’s exclusion from the highest offices in the land,” K’tso declared. “We have been reduced to the status of a minority within the majority and unfairly denied the opportunity to serve at the highest levels of governance.”
He further noted that since the return to democratic rule in 1999, only the North Central and the South East have not produced either a President or a Vice President. While the South East had the privilege of producing Dr. Alex Ekwueme as Vice President between 1979 and 1983, the North Central has never been accorded the same opportunity.
The coalition made it clear that they will mobilize their voting strength across the zone to push for political inclusion. They argued that their demand is not just about power but about equity and national cohesion.
“If the APC is determined to give President Tinubu the right of first refusal in 2027, then the party must be ready to balance the ticket by dropping the current Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, and selecting a competent leader from the North Central as the new running mate,” K’tso stated.
The movement also urged other political parties to field presidential candidates from the North Central, emphasizing that the zone has produced capable leaders who can lead Nigeria towards stability and progress.
This development is expected to reshape the political calculations ahead of 2027. With the growing calls for power rotation and regional balance, Tinubu and the APC leadership may face pressure to accommodate the North Central’s demands or risk losing a crucial bloc of support.
Observers believe that the demand signals a broader political realignment, as regions that have historically been sidelined are now asserting their stake in the nation’s leadership. Whether or not the APC will heed this call remains to be seen, but the North Central has made its position unmistakably clear: 2027 must mark the end of its political marginalization.
