Power Rotation Between North and South Sacrosanct for National Unity \u2013 SGF Akume<\/p>\n
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has said the power rotation arrangement between Northern and Southern Nigeria remains sacrosanct for national cohesion, fairness and sustenance of democracy.<\/p>\n
Akume stated this on Wednesday, 21st October, 2026, in Abuja, when he received a delegation from the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM), Nigeria, led by its Supreme Knight, Sir Steve Adehi.<\/p>\n
The SGF recalled that the North-South rotation principle was agreed in Kaduna in 1999 after extensive consultations between governors-elect on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other prominent political leaders who sought an equitable distribution of power to preserve national unity.<\/p>\n
According to him, the leaders agreed that presidential power should alternate between the North and the South in eight-year cycles, beginning with the South, as a practical measure to promote political balance, strengthen mutual trust and safeguard the country\u2019s territorial integrity.<\/p>\n
He said the arrangement was driven by concerns over concentration of power and the need to ensure that no part of the country feels permanently excluded from the highest political office.<\/p>\n
Akume noted that the principle has contributed significantly to the continuity of democratic governance since 1999 by providing a framework for managing Nigeria\u2019s regional diversity.<\/p>\n
He stressed that power rotation should not be treated as a temporary political convenience, but as a fundamental understanding rooted in fairness, mutual respect and national stability.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Chris Ugwuegbulam, Head, Information and Public Relations at the OSGF, said the SGF frowned on attempts by northern aspirants to contest the presidency before the completion of the South’s current eight-year tenure, insisting that the established sequence should be respected.<\/p>\n
He maintained that after the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the South\u2019s current tenure should be allowed to run its full course in line with the alternating principle.<\/p>\n
Akume also commended the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba for its charitable interventions, and called for sustained collaboration among Federal, State and Local Governments to address national challenges.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the Supreme Knight, Sir Steve Adehi, said the Order has undertaken several humanitarian interventions including support for medical treatment, payment of fines for inmates to facilitate their release from correctional facilities, provision of boreholes, renovation of schools and support for hospitals.<\/p>\n
Adehi said the interventions were motivated by the understanding that government alone cannot address all socio-economic challenges, stressing the need for private philanthropy and community-based initiatives to complement government efforts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Power Rotation Between North and South Sacrosanct for National Unity \u2013 SGF Akume The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has said the power rotation arrangement between Northern and Southern Nigeria remains sacrosanct for national cohesion, fairness and sustenance of democracy. Akume stated this on Wednesday, 21st October, 2026, in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":153003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[3656,2473],"class_list":["post-153001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-others","tag-power-rotation-in-nigeria","tag-sgf"],"yoast_head":"\n