By Ayo Kehinde
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has declared that no credible alternative has yet emerged ahead of the 2027 presidential election, faulting President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, while insisting that no single region, including the North, can independently determine the outcome of Nigeria’s presidential race.
The position was conveyed by the National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, during an interview on PrimeTime on ARISE Television on Monday, where he argued that Nigeria’s political class had failed to articulate a clear policy direction or present convincing solutions to the country’s worsening economic and security challenges.
According to him, public confidence in political leadership has steadily eroded, particularly among northern voters who have become increasingly frustrated with the state of the nation.
“I have not seen a party that articulates a clear policy ambition or an ideological standard. The average northern voter is disillusioned and has been for a long time. We have tried all kinds of permutations — northern candidates, Muslim-Muslim tickets and so on. It seems to the average northerner that all this politics is about personalities and personal interests. It is not about people”, he said.
Mohammed-Baba said President Tinubu, whose electoral success in 2023 benefited substantially from northern support, has seen his standing affected by public dissatisfaction with economic realities and persistent insecurity.
“The impact of his policies on the economy and especially on individual lives has been highly disappointing, if not disturbing”, he stated.
He argued that despite repeated assurances from government officials, the security situation across parts of the country had continued to deteriorate.
“Furthermore, the insecurity thing, no matter what the government says, is getting worse”, he added.
Referring to discussions around forest security initiatives, Mohammed-Baba noted that concerns raised more than a year ago had only recently received renewed attention.
“Over a year ago, we talked about the ‘Forest Guards.’ It is only recently, with the event in Oyo and Borno States, that they are talking of deploying 1,000 forest guards in some of the states, but researchers have shown that there are over 30,000 terrorists operating in our ungoverned spaces”, he noted.
He also cited the example of a northern community reportedly threatened by armed groups and compelled to organise its own defence mechanism because of what he described as an inadequate state response.
“We are gradually normalising self-help — that, unless you do something, the government will not be there to protect you. That undermines the essence of the role of the state”, he said.
On opposition figures expected to play key roles in the build-up to the 2027 elections, Mohammed-Baba questioned whether they had presented any compelling agenda capable of inspiring public confidence.
Speaking on Atiku, he described the former Vice President as a familiar political figure who had yet to present a distinctive national agenda despite multiple presidential contests.
“I don’t see anything from him that presents an alternative apart from saying this government has failed. Where is the beef?” he asked.
On Obi, Mohammed-Baba said political movements and alignments around the former Anambra governor had generated uncertainty among northern voters.
“He has moved to two or three parties. The question we ask is: what does he want?”
He also criticised former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, over recent comments linking himself with revered northern political figures, saying such remarks may not resonate positively in the region.
“In the North, that is very irreverent. It would be highly delusional for him to go that far and say he presents an alternative. An alternative in terms of what? Has he articulated anything on the economy, security or anything on infrastructure? When you keep talking about things in abstract terms that run counter-intuitive to what the people have held on to, you will run into trouble”, he stated.
When asked whether any presidential hopeful currently commands significant confidence in the North, Mohammed-Baba declined to identify any individual.
“We are waiting to see,” he said.
He further cautioned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against overconfidence, warning that attempts to weaken opposition parties through defections and political manoeuvring could produce unexpected consequences.
“Nothing fails like success. Be very careful, because sometimes complacency can spring surprises”, he warned.
Mohammed-Baba also dismissed perceptions of the North as a single political bloc capable of solely determining electoral outcomes, insisting that Nigeria’s diversity makes such assumptions unrealistic.
“No one region can determine on its own the outcome of a presidential election, and the North has never been able to do so alone, outside of military rule”, he said.
With fuel prices exceeding ₦1,300 per litre in many parts of the country, millions of out-of-school children and recurring reports of bandits imposing levies on farmers in states including Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara, Mohammed-Baba argued that the 2027 election would eventually be shaped by whichever candidate offers practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
“Is there anybody offering an alternative now? I don’t see anything”, he concluded.
