Elder statesman Alhaji Tanko Yakasai has stated that, as of now, President Bola Tinubu has the strongest chances of winning the 2027 presidential election.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja, Yakasai also clarified that, as a member of the Arewa Consultative Forum, he is unaware of any formal position taken by the northern region to support a specific candidate for the 2027 election.
“I haven’t heard anybody making any proposition about the 2027 presidential election from Arewa Consultative Forum. What is tagged the Arewa Consultative Forum or Northern Elders Forum’s position is mere individual opinions, because all sections of the north have not taken a stand on this,” he said. He advised Nigerians to wait for an official northern stance.
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Regarding Tinubu’s current position, Yakasai said, “In Nigeria today, Bola Tinubu is the president. He has his ministers and governors who are backing him. Who else has all what it takes to move into the contest with the kind of stamina and strength to be more successful comparatively with Tinubu?”
He pointed to the APC’s control of a majority of states and support from some opposition governors as factors favoring Tinubu.
“We should all wait and see if the picture will change drastically, otherwise for now, the odds are in his (Tinubu’s) favour because I have not seen anything that will prevent him from winning the next election. He hasn’t done anything against the north in my understanding and the north alone cannot decide who becomes the president of the country,” Yakasai said.
He also noted that the internal conflicts within opposition parties further strengthen Tinubu’s position.
Yakasai refrained from assessing Tinubu’s administration thus far, but advised Nigerian politicians to prioritize the interests of the masses.
“Our politicians should see politics as a dynamic game and what I will advise is for them to play the game on the basis of ideology and programmes. Let them envision the way they want the country to be and not targeting to be ministers, governors and president. They should eschew politics of ethnicity and religion because not making our country the focal point of our politics has held us down for so long,” he said.
Regarding his own longevity, Yakasai, who will turn 100 in December, attributed it to divine grace and familial longevity, noting that his parents lived to advanced ages. “My children, grandchildren and great grand children are more than 80 and still expanding. I give glory to God for these,” he said.
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