The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has urged Nigerians to support the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, saying a second term is necessary for the full implementation of the President’s reform agenda and the sustained transformation of the country.
Barau made the call on Thursday at the 2026 National Summit of Former Legislators, themed “National Unity and Nation Building: Beyond 2031,” held in Abuja.
The summit was organised by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) and convened by the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. It attracted former lawmakers from across party lines, including former Senate Presidents Pius Anyim and Ken Nnamani, and former Speakers of the House of Representatives, Patricia Eteh and Yakubu Dogara.
Senator Barau’s position echoed similar calls by the NFFL National Coordinator, Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe, as well as former Senate Presidents and Speakers, who urged support for President Tinubu to complete two terms in line with the rotational principle guiding Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
“I appeal that we should abide by the principle of rotation, which has brought sanity and equality since the beginning of the Fourth Republic,” Barau said in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir.
“The President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is in his first term. As others have noted, we should not reinvent the wheel. The rotational system is working and should be allowed to continue. President Tinubu is doing well and should be allowed to serve two full terms,” he added.
Responding to calls from summit participants, including a former Senate President, Barau pledged to forward a proposal seeking the inclusion of the rotational principle in the Constitution to the National Assembly.
“I will certainly do that,” he said.
Speaking further on the summit’s theme, the Deputy Senate President emphasised the importance of national unity, mentorship and continuity in governance. He assured participants of the National Assembly’s willingness to collaborate with the NFFL and similar organisations.
“Governance does not end with tenure, and patriotism is a lifelong duty,” he said, noting that former legislators still have critical roles to play in Nigeria’s democratic development.
Barau commended the NFFL for organising the summit, describing former lawmakers as vital national assets whose experience and institutional memory remain invaluable.
“You are men and women who have borne the burden of lawmaking. Your experience and statesmanship are assets Nigeria must continue to draw from,” he said.
The Deputy Senate President, who also serves as First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, urged former legislators to use the platform to propose ideas and partnerships for national growth and unity.
At the end of the summit, a communiqué was adopted endorsing President Tinubu as the forum’s sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election. The motion was moved by former Senator Yakubu Hussaini (Kogi State) and seconded by Senator Florence Ita Giwa (Cross River State), alongside a vote of confidence in the President.
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