North Central Must Produce President in 2027, Group Insists
A coalition under the banner of the North Central Renaissance Movement (NCRM) has renewed its demand that Nigeria’s major political parties zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the North Central geopolitical zone, arguing that the region has been consistently sidelined in the country’s leadership structure.
Speaking at a gathering in Abuja, the group’s chairperson, Prof. K’tso Nghargbu, declared that the time had come for the zone—comprising Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory—to take its rightful place in Nigeria’s political leadership.
He pointed out that since independence, the North Central region has never produced a civilian President or Vice President, despite hosting the nation’s capital and contributing heavily to agriculture, energy, and mineral resources.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the NCRM rejected the idea of remaining “escorts, backbenchers, spectators, or political underdogs” in national politics, stressing that political justice requires that the zone be given the opportunity to lead in 2027.
“The time for North Central to lead the country is now,” the statement read.
The group also reminded political parties of its earlier call in April, when it urged both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to nominate candidates from the zone.
It even went further to suggest that if President Bola Tinubu seeks re-election, he should consider choosing a running mate from North Central instead of retaining Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The demand comes at a critical political moment. The APC has already endorsed President Tinubu for a second term in 2027, while opposition heavyweights, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, have joined forces under the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) in a bid to unseat the ruling party. Against this backdrop, the NCRM insists that the support of the North Central zone cannot be taken for granted, warning that political parties that ignore its demands risk losing a significant voting bloc.
For many in the region, the call is not merely about zoning but about equity and recognition. The North Central has long played the role of political stabilizer in Nigeria’s often tense national politics, and its leaders believe it is only fair that the zone finally occupies the highest office in the land.
