As the anti-Tinubu coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar continues to gain momentum in the North, elder statesman Alhaji Tanko Yakassai remarked that the Northern region alone would not be able to determine who becomes president in the 2027 elections.
According to The Vanguard, this statement followed assertions by the League of Northern Democrats, who emphasized that their primary goal was not to seize power but to work toward national improvement.
It is also on record that Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, recently stated that the North would soon outline its political path in preparation for the 2027 polls. He had emphasized that no presidential candidate could succeed without Northern backing.
In response, Yakassai, who previously served as Liaison Officer to the late President Shehu Shagari and is a founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum, told Vanguard that neither the North nor the South on its own could determine the outcome of Nigeria’s presidential election.
While he was speaking against the backdrop of growing coalition against the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency, Yakassai said: “The presidential election is a national affair. Any presidential election is a national issue, the North alone cannot determine who becomes President; the South alone cannot make it. The South and North must come together with a formidable candidate to get it done.”
Continuing his remarks, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai stated that a truly formidable presidential candidate must not only be popular but also possess significant financial capacity. He noted that contesting elections in Nigeria now requires substantial funding, lamenting that wealthy individuals in the country are generally reluctant to financially back any candidate. According to him, any serious aspirant must be prepared to fund their campaign independently rather than rely on external sponsors.
Reinforcing his earlier view, Yakasai maintained that while the North holds considerable influence in determining the outcome of presidential elections due to its population size, it cannot single-handedly decide who becomes president in 2027. He stressed that beyond numerical strength, other factors such as acceptability and support from key stakeholders across the country would also be essential in securing electoral victory.
