By Peter Omopo
Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, has declared himself the Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign, insisting that political power will only return to the North after Tinubu completes a second term in office.
Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, Bago criticised northern politicians already agitating for a power shift just two years into Tinubu’s presidency, calling such demands premature and destabilising.
“For crying out loud, this man has just spent two years in office, and you want it to come back to the North. How?” Bago asked. “When he (Tinubu) finishes his eight years, power will come to the North, and northerners who want to contest can then contest.”
The governor said the Tinubu 2027 campaign headquarters would be based in Minna, the Niger State capital. “I have made myself the DG of Tinubu’s campaign for 2027, and no going back about that. Our headquarters will be in Minna,” he declared.
Bago also defended Nigeria’s rotational presidency arrangement, saying it has sustained the nation’s fragile political balance. He pledged to mobilise northern youths for Tinubu’s re-election. “These people you are talking about don’t control the youths. We control the youths, and the youths are with Asiwaju,” he said.
On local governance, the Niger governor reiterated his support for the creation of state police, urging Tinubu and the National Assembly to fast-track its passage into law. He argued that decentralised policing would bring security closer to the people.
Bago’s remarks come amid mounting political manoeuvres ahead of the 2027 polls. While some northern figures are quietly pressing for an early return of power to the region, groups in the South-East and South-South continue to argue it is their turn, citing historical marginalisation.
The Niger governor’s firm stance is seen as an attempt to douse intra-party tensions in the ruling All Progressives Congress and reinforce Tinubu’s legitimacy in seeking re-election.
