The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to abandon any plan to seek re-election in 2027, citing what it described as his administration’s poor performance in security, the economy and citizens’ welfare, while also renewing its opposition to the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

In a communiqué issued on Friday after its July 2026 meeting and signed by its Chairman, Dr. Samuel Danjuma Gani, the forum said the country was being led in a direction that had generated “increasing apprehension rather than hope.”

The group argued that the Tinubu administration had fallen short of the constitutional responsibility of ensuring the security and welfare of Nigerians, as enshrined in Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.

According to the forum, President Tinubu should, instead of seeking a second term, devote the remainder of his tenure to restructuring Nigeria and facilitating the emergence of a new constitution.

The forum also criticised the President’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, describing it as “tone-deaf and grossly insensitive,” particularly at a time when, it claimed, terrorists were carrying out attacks in parts of the country and many Christians were victims of violence.

“The direction in which the nation is being led by the Tinubu presidency offers increasing apprehension rather than hope and this state of affairs has left all patriots with no option but to call on President Tinubu to please desist from seeking re-election for a second term, but instead like a statesman with an eye on history and posterity, to earnestly commit the rest of his tenure to restructuring Nigeria and giving her a new constitution.

“His Muslim-Muslim presidency ticket is tone-deaf and grossly insensitive particularly at a period, like now, when Islamist terrorists are ravaging the country and Christians are at the receiving end of the widespread violence, unabated killings and unspeakable atrocities”, the forum said.

It urged ethnic nationalities, socio-cultural organisations and other interest groups to immediately begin mobilising for the adoption of a new constitution before the 2027 general election.

On the electoral process, the NCEF called on the judiciary to remain impartial in the adjudication of election disputes, warning that Nigeria had reached a “tipping point” and could no longer afford any perception of judicial bias.

The forum also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to uphold its independence and neutrality by conducting credible, free and fair elections.

While noting that the North-South rotation of the presidency is not expressly provided for in the Constitution, the group said the arrangement had helped promote national stability, equity and inclusiveness.

It therefore called on Nigerians to support a Southern presidential candidate in 2027 to complete what it described as the South’s remaining four years.

The forum accused the current administration of compromising national institutions, likening the situation to the military era under former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida.

It called for an independent investigation into the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), describing the controversy surrounding the council as an indictment of the Tinubu administration.

The Christian elders maintained that Nigerians were yearning for positive change and warned that the patience of citizens should not be taken for granted.