…back balanced, orderly rotation of power between North, South

Ambassador Designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), and his Mexico counterpart, Reno Omokri, have urged Nigerians to re-elect President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027.

The two Ambassadors Designate made the call on Saturday in a post shared on the official X account of Fani-Kayode, with both saying that their candidate for 2027 is none other than President Tinubu.

“In view of recent political events, it has become necessary and expedient for us, Ambassadors Designate Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and Mr. Bemigho Reno Omokri, to state categorically that we believe it is in the best interest of the stability, unity, and prosperity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and in keeping with the Gentleman’s Agreement, which ushered in our Fourth Republic in 1999, after sixteen years of turbulence and political instability, for there to be a balanced and orderly rotation of power in Nigeria, between the North and the South,” the post read.

“We further affirm that, having completed and made full and unfettered use of two terms of four years, under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, Northern Nigeria, with the support of patriots from Southern Nigeria, had its full, uninterrupted, and undisturbed tenure in this power rotation arrangement.

“And that, after that tenure, it is the turn of Southern Nigeria to take and retain the baton of power for a commensurate period of time, to wit, two terms of four years each.”

As such, FFK and Reno said they view it as unpatriotic and inimical to the unity, equilibrium, and progress of Nigeria for anyone to even conceive of power returning to Northern Nigeria after only one term of four years, during which it was domiciled in Southern Nigeria and not just in Southern Nigeria, but in the specific hands of the man who was the chief architect for the return of power to the North in 2015, referring to Tinubu.

Both men added that they are of the opinion that one good turn deserves another and that one good term deserves another.

“Therefore, we make bold to state that our candidate and choice for the 2027 Presidential Elections is His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has, in the last three years, delivered 12 cycles of GDP growth and trade surpluses, while adding $67 billion to our economy and making Nigeria the sixth largest contributor to global GDP growth in 2025,” the statement added.

“We urge the political class, to note that the reason Switzerland has been stable, peaceful, and prosperous for the last 211 years is because that Alpine nation wisely introduced power sharing amongst its multiethnic population and has not seen any conflict since 1815, and particularly since 1848 when its power-sharing policy took root.”

FFK and Reno also called on all Nigerians, irrespective of region, religion, and communion, to join them and queue behind the present presidency and future candidacy of President Tinubu and the Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA), which according to them, has seen infrastructural efforts to unite Nigeria, including the ₦15 trillion 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the ₦13 trillion 1068-kilometre Illela-Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, and bridging the gap between the Southeast and the entire North through the 465-kilometre Trans-Saharan Road being constructed at a cost of an estimated $750 million.

“If we all extend the right hand of fellowship to President Bola Tinubu, we will, with the help of God, collectively see Nigeria become a $1 trillion economy by 2031,” they stated.

According to both men, to re-elect President Tinubu is a task that must be done, while going spiritual by saying: “May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and may Nigeria prosper under President Bola Tinubu.”

Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday formally received the expression of interest and nomination forms of President Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, with party leaders declaring that the “coast is now clear” for his participation in the party’s direct primary.

The forms were submitted on behalf of the President by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the APC national secretariat in Abuja amid chants of “On your mandate we shall stand” by scores of party stalwarts, including ministers, members of the Progressive Governors Forum led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, National Assembly members, as well as heads of agencies and parastatals.

Presenting the nomination forms to the Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda-led National Working Committee (NWC), Shettima said Tinubu had demonstrated courage and leadership by taking difficult decisions to stabilise the country’s economy.

“As he seeks to lead us for another four years through thick and thin, the President has proved his mettle and has shown the world that his capacity and resolve to pull the nation out of the woods remain intact,” Shettima said.

He added that the Renewed Hope Agenda had translated into tangible successes across several sectors of the economy.

“The socio-economic impacts have been phenomenal in pushing positive results. His Excellency, the President, has delivered on the mandate of stability and national revival,” he stated.

According to the Vice President, Tinubu steered the country through difficult economic conditions with courage and determination.

“He has sailed this ship through troubling waters with courage, taking difficult but necessary decisions to stabilise the economy, restore confidence and prepare Nigeria for a more sustainable future,” he said.