The President-General of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, has stated that the northern region has not yet decided whether to back President Bola Tinubu‘s bid for a second term in 2027.
In an interview with Punch, Shettima explained that discussions are ongoing as the region continues to assess Tinubu’s performance.
His comments follow those of the suspended National Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Mamman Osuman, who recently declared that the north would support a northern candidate in 2027 to “rescue the north and the country from hardship.”
Shettima acknowledged growing criticism of Tinubu’s policies from some northern quarters and stressed the importance of allowing such grievances to be voiced.
He added that deliberations in the region are centered on Tinubu’s ability to address pressing issues such as security, economic stability, and social welfare.
The Arewa Youth President said, “The north has not taken any position against Tinubu yet, but those who are not satisfied with his government have the right to voice their anger against him.
“As it stands today, there is no collective decision by the north on Tinubu. But some of our people are saying Tinubu should change some of his policies and come up with more friendly ones that will put smiles on the faces of Nigerians and that is what we are encouraging him to do.
“Anyone who tells you that the north has ganged up against Tinubu is lying, we have not arrived at that decision yet and I don’t think we are getting there yet because some of us believe that the government can still do something.”
On whether the north would support a candidate from the region against Tinubu, Shettima said, “Why won’t I want somebody from the north to succeed Tinubu? I want somebody from the north to succeed Tinubu after eight years if he does well. But if he doesn’t do well, in the next election, we will all collectively come out to work against him. However, for now, there is no reason to begin to gang up and begin to think of anything in that form.”