North Central pushes for 2027 presidency, cautions parties against neglect

The call for Nigeria’s top leadership intensified at the weekend as the North-Central Renaissance Movement (NCRM) demanded that the presidency be ceded to the zone in 2027, warning political parties that any attempt to ignore the region would attract consequences at the polls.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the group’s chairman and convener, Professor K’tso Nghargbu, noted that the North-Central—which comprises Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara States and the Federal Capital Territory—has never produced an elected president or vice president since independence, despite its steady contributions to national unity.

“It is our duty and responsibility to state clearly that the North-Central geopolitical zone seeks, requests, and demands that political parties cede their presidential ticket to our region. Patronising us means having our votes.

“Despising us means losing our votes,” Nghargbu declared.

He argued that the zone is strategically positioned to bridge Nigeria’s growing political divides, particularly the tensions between elites in the far North and their counterparts in the South.

Nghargbu also pointed to prominent leaders from the region, citing Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in the FCT, who has already indicated his interest in contesting the 2027 election on the PDP platform.

He added that other aspirants from the zone were welcome to join the race.

“The North-Central is blessed with enormous political resources and human capital. We are capable of addressing Nigeria’s leadership challenges and driving unity at this critical time,” he said.

The coalition further expressed support for the inclusion of independent candidacy in the Nigerian Constitution, describing it as a corrective measure against the dominance of “money drunk and godfather drunk” political parties.

“Independent candidature is one of the answers Nigeria needs.

“It checks the excesses of political parties that deny genuine aspirants a chance,” Nghargbu stressed.

With the 2027 general election drawing closer, the NCRM maintained that zoning the presidency to the North-Central would not only serve justice but also promote peace, unity, and stability across the country.