A former chairman of the National Hajj Commission has warned against denying President Bola Tinubu a second term. Sheikh Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan spoke at his residence in Kano. He addressed youth groups. He said Tinubu should be allowed to complete two terms to maintain power rotation between the north and the south. He cited former President Muhammadu Buhari, who served two terms. “If we sustain this, we will suffer in the future,” he said. “We will fling the country into a political crisis.”
Nigeria’s north-south power rotation is informal. It has shaped presidential politics since 1999. Olusegun Obasanjo, a southerner, served eight years. Umaru Yar’Adua, a northerner, died in office. Goodluck Jonathan, a southerner, completed the term and won one of his own. Buhari, a northerner, served two terms from 2015 to 2023. Tinubu, a southerner, took office in 2023. The convention assumes two terms per region. Some northern politicians argue that the north should reclaim power in 2027. Others support Tinubu’s second term. The dispute is political, not constitutional.
Pakistan argued that tribal politics is dangerous. “The type of politics we are playing where we reject somebody because of the region he came from is dangerous,” he said. He cited security gains. He said the Abuja-Kaduna highway is safer now than under Buhari. “You can leave Abuja at 12am and arrive at Kaduna safely,” he said. He claimed food prices have dropped. “Under Buhari, a bag of rice sold for ₦120,000, but today it is ₦57,500. As a farmer, under Buhari I sold a bag of millet for ₦85,000. But today it is sold for about ₦30,000.”
He also blamed Buhari for banditry. “Up to the time Buhari became president there was no kidnapping,” he said. “Kidnapping started under Buhari.” He said Tinubu inherited both Boko Haram and banditry. The claims are contested. Food prices remain high. Insecurity persists. But Pakistan’s argument is political. He wants northern support for Tinubu’s re-election.
Winners: Tinubu, who gains a northern voice. The APC, which gains support in Kano. Pakistan, who gains visibility. Losers: Northern politicians seeking to reclaim power in 2027. Critics who see the warning as a threat. Voters, who face another rotation debate. The opposition, which faces a divided north.
Bottom Line: A former hajj chairman warned of crisis. The rotation is convention, not law. Tinubu wants a second term. Some northerners want the seat back. The 2027 election will settle it at the ballot, not at rallies.