Adamawa State Governor, Umaru Fintiri, has stated that northerners should not contest for the presidency in 2027, insisting that it is the South’s turn to complete its eight-year tenure in office.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Fintiri said the decision was rooted in national interest, stressing that leadership rotation should be respected.
“Nobody in the North has business at the moment to vie for the office of the president. It is the South’s turn; they should complete their eight years if we are really serious about this country and leadership,” he said.
On his own political alignment, Fintiri defended his recent move to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as motivated by the welfare of his state rather than personal political ambition.
“The move was purely in the interest of the people and the state… because for long, it is not about winning elections but aligning and getting more for our people,” he said.
Fintiri also addressed his relationship with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, clarifying that there were no personal issues despite their differing political paths.
“I still have. There is nothing that has gone bad. It is just that everybody has taken their political ways, and I am today in APC, they are in another party,” he said.
On insecurity in the state, the governor backed calls for the creation of state police, noting that properly motivated and equipped state forces could help secure ungoverned areas.
“Of course, for now, that is the only answer. We can’t ask that we have a private army, but we can have the state police, which, to me, if properly motivated and equipped, can cover those areas,” Fintiri added.