The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has urged political stakeholders to respect the North-south power rotation arrangement, saying the principle is essential to Nigeria’s national stability, fairness and democratic consolidation.
He made this known yesterday in Abuja when he received a delegation from the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM), Nigeria, led by its Supreme Knight, Sir Steve Adehi.
Akume said the arrangement, which emerged from consultations among political leaders ahead of the return to civilian rule in 1999, remained an important framework for promoting national cohesion and ensuring equitable distribution of political power between the two regions.
The SGF recalled that political leaders, who met in Kaduna in 1999 had agreed that presidential power should alternate between the North and the South in eight-year cycles, beginning with the South, as part of efforts to address concerns about political exclusion and strengthen national unity.
He explained that the arrangement was conceived to promote political balance, build mutual trust and safeguard the country’s territorial integrity by ensuring that neither region felt permanently excluded from the nation’s highest political office.
Akume insisted that power rotation should not be regarded as a temporary political convenience but as a fundamental political understanding anchored on fairness, mutual respect and national stability.
He also expressed concern over attempts by Northern aspirants to contest the presidency before the completion of the South’s current eight-year cycle, insisting that the established sequence should be respected.
According to him, following the eight-year administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the current presidential tenure held by a Southerner should be allowed to run its course in accordance with the principle of alternating power between the two regions.
He argued that respecting the arrangement would reinforce confidence in the democratic process and help sustain the understanding among Nigeria’s diverse political and regional interests
Akume further emphasised the need for greater collaboration among the federal, state and local governments to address the country’s economic and social challenges, noting that ongoing reforms and development initiatives should be assessed against both immediate economic realities and long-term national objectives.
He commended the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba for its charitable interventions aimed at improving the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians.
Earlier, Adehi said the organisation had undertaken several humanitarian initiatives, including supporting medical treatment for patients, assisting inmates with outstanding financial obligations to facilitate their release from correctional facilities, providing boreholes, renovating schools and supporting hospitals.
He explained that the interventions were informed by the recognition that the government alone could not address the numerous social and economic challenges facing the country.
He also urged greater collaboration between government and private organisations through philanthropy, partnerships and community-based initiatives to alleviate poverty and improve living conditions.
