According to a report by Leadership, on Saturday March 7, 2026, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has reacted to recent comments by Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the governor of Adamawa State, over the zoning of Nigeria’s presidency in the 2027 general election.
Fintiri had earlier said that the presidency should remain in the South after the current tenure of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, according to him, it would not be fair for politicians from the North to contest the presidency in 2027.
He argued that allowing the South to continue in power would help maintain political balance and stability in the country, however, the ACF disagreed with this position. The forum said no individual or group has the authority to stop any Nigerian from contesting the presidency based on region.
Speaking on the matter, the ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, T. A. Muhammad-Baba, explained that Fintiri’s statement should be seen as his personal opinion, he said the Nigerian constitution allows every qualified citizen to contest for public office, including the presidency.
Muhammad-Baba noted that the law does not restrict people from contesting elections because of where they come from, he said that political parties are responsible for deciding who becomes their candidate in an election.
According to him, even a state governor does not have the authority to prevent people from contesting an election, he warned that suggesting that certain regions should not produce presidential candidates could weaken democratic values in the country.
He added that democracy is based on equal rights, where every eligible citizen can vote and contest elections, if some regions are discouraged from contesting, it could lead to political manipulation and create divisions among Nigerians.
“The Adamawa State governor was only stating his personal opinion. And that is all. It is not a constitutional requirement. Nobody has a right to say or stop a northerner from contesting in 2027. An election is an election, we reject manipulation of the system,” Muhammad-Baba said.See_More…