…Endorse Tinubu for 2027
The National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), on Saturday, urged that the principle of rotational presidency between Nigeria’s North and South be entrenched in the Constitution, aiming to ensure long-term national cohesion beyond 2031.
This was even as the forum officially endorsed President Bola Tinubu as its sole candidate for the 2027 general election.
The resolutions came at the NFFL’s 2026 National Summit, themed “National Unity and Nation Building Beyond 2031,” held at the NAF Conference Centre in Kado, Abuja.
In a communiqué, the former lawmakers said their deliberations focused on deepening democracy, fostering trust among Nigeria’s regions, and promoting political stability.
The forum’s communiqué stressed that the presidency should rotate back to the Northern region in 2031, in line with principles of fairness and national balance. To prevent ambiguity in future elections, the forum called for the rotational principle to be enshrined in the Constitution, ensuring clarity and continuity for generations to come.
The former legislators also passed a vote of confidence in President Tinubu’s administration, endorsing his continued leadership to complete two full terms.
“In order to consolidate ongoing reforms, strengthen national unity and deepen democratic governance, we collectively resolve that the current President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be supported to complete the full eight years,” the communiqué read.
Delivering the keynote at the summit, President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila described national cohesion as a strategic imperative for Nigeria’s survival and global relevance. He stressed that unity is not just a moral duty but a practical necessity in an uncertain global landscape.
Gbajabiamila also emphasised the value of the forum’s collective experience. “The institutional memory represented in this room is a national asset of immense value. It must be deliberately harnessed to inform present choices and illuminate future pathways,” he said.
Highlighting ongoing government initiatives, he cited infrastructure projects like the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road and the Sokoto–Badagry highway as examples of development designed to bridge regional divides.
Throughout his address, Gbajabiamila warned against identity-based politics and ethnic or religious mobilisation, urging leaders and citizens to prioritise national interest over sectional ambitions. He described the rotational presidency as a stabilising mechanism rooted in political wisdom and principled compromise.
Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe, NFFL National Coordinator, said the forum’s positions emerged from extensive consultations across the country, including Northern and Southern dialogue sessions. “We collectively agreed that in the interest of unity, peace and national progress, the South should complete its eight-year term,” he said.
The summit concluded with a call for all political leaders and citizens to uphold democratic values, justice, and national cohesion, framing the endorsement of Tinubu and the push for constitutional power rotation as complementary steps toward a more stable, unified Nigeria.
