Elder statesman Alhaji Tanko Yakasai has said there is currently no politician with a stronger chance of defeating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Yakasai made the remark during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, noting that discussions around northern support for any candidate remain speculative.
“I haven’t heard anybody making any proposition about the 2027 presidential election from Arewa Consultative Forum,” he said.
“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.”
Yakasai, a key figure in northern political affairs, stated that there has been no formal decision or declaration from the region regarding the 2027 polls. He added that until northern leaders meet to deliberate and agree on a candidate, any claim of consensus should be viewed as personal views.
Commenting on President Tinubu’s political position, Yakasai said the president appears to retain significant support within the ruling party and beyond.
“In Nigeria today, Bola Tinubu is the president. He has his ministers and governors who are backing him,” he said.
“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?”
Yakasai noted that some governors from opposition parties continue to support the president, a development he said could shape the outcome of the 2027 election.
“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 added.
He emphasized that Tinubu has not alienated the northern region. “He hasn’t done anything against the north in my understanding and the north alone cannot decide who becomes the president of the country,” he said.
Yakasai also pointed to divisions within major opposition parties, saying internal conflicts have weakened their standing ahead of the next general election.
On governance and political values, Yakasai advised political actors to focus on policies and long-term national goals.
“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,” he said. “Let them envision the way they want the country to be and not targeting to be ministers, governors and president.”
He warned against ethnic and religious politics, saying such practices have slowed national development.
“After becoming all these and nothing is done in the interest of the country, we will not get better. 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.
As he approaches his 100th birthday in December, Yakasai attributed his long life to both divine favour and family history.
“My children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are more than 80 and still expanding. I give glory to God for these,” he said, noting that his father lived to 107 years, while his mother also lived close to 100.
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