THE February 20, 2027 presidential election is exactly 910 days away, going by the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, but the political firmament is astir as if the poll will be held next year.
This is in spite of the fact that President Bola Tinubu, a southerner, who succeeded former President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, is barely 15 months into his 48-month first term.
Currently, political leaders, especially from the North are locked in a series of consultations on the issue. Underground alignment and re-alignments are also ongoing.
Already, leaders of opposition parties have declared their readiness to form a strong coalition to stop the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Those seeking to stop Tinubu hinge their stand on the president’s alleged poor performance since he took over on May 29, 2023, which they said had inflicted avoidable crushing hardship on Nigerians.
Early in the week, a joint ticket of Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma and APC National Chairman, Alhaji Umaru Ganduje, was reported.
In a quick counter, Ganduje disowned the move, which he said was being orchestrated by those plotting to put a wedge between him and President Tinubu.
Northern power brokers angling to stop Tinubu are said to be looking for a southerner, who will do a term and relinquish power to the North in line with the North-South power rotation principle. After Tinubu’s four years in 2027, the South will need another four to balance the North’s eight years occupied by Buhari.
This is one of the reasons some are rooting for former President Jonathan with one of the northern groups pairing Jonathan and Governor Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State as a sellable 2027 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ticket.
Northern political group, Let Nigeria Breathe Again, mid-week endorsed a potential presidential ticket of Dr. Jonathan and Fintiri for the 2027 election.
The group’s leader, Mustapha Aliyu Lere, believes this pairing offers the best chance for unity, peace, and progress in Nigeria.
Lere praised Jonathan’s leadership and integrity, noting that he has committed no sins against anyone since leaving office in 2015.
He also commended Fintiri’s transformation of Adamawa State during his five-year tenure as governor.
He appealed to the PDP to unite and support Jonathan’s potential candidacy, citing the need for experienced leadership to address Nigeria’s challenges.
However, Jonathan, who ran for second term in 2015 and lost to Buhari is not qualified to run courtesy of a 2018 Bill of the National Assembly signed into law by President Buhari.
The bill, which limits tenures of vice presidents, and deputy governors who succeed principals, was signed into law on June 8, 2018.
Specifically, the Constitution amendment Act Number 16, provides that a vice President or a deputy governor who succeeds and completes the tenure of a president or governor can only run for the office one more time.
By the provisions of the law, no one can take the oath of office as president or governor more than twice.
Before this amendment, vice presidents or deputy governors, after completion of their predecessors’ term could run for office for another two terms.
This was the case with former President Jonathan, who succeeded President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010, contested and won the presidential election in 2011 and still contested same office in 2015.
The new law prohibits this, hence Jonathan is not eligible to run as president in 2027.
