North-Central agenda for presidential candidates ahead 2027

The emergence of presidential contenders on the platforms of various political parties for the 2027 presidential elections has spurred agitation and demands about what Nigerians want to be prioritised by whoever wins the election. The expectations of North Central from these candidates are examined in this report by the North Central Bureau Chief, ISAAC SHOBAYO, along with additional reports from Johnson Babajide, Biola Azeez, Yekini Jimoh and Aliyu Hamagam.

The North Central geopolitical zone has played an important part in Nigeria’s growth. It has produced several leaders who have made significant contributions to the country’s political evolution; it is also a strategic zone that has assisted in a variety of ways. It is generally seen as a deciding element in an election.

Prior to the formation of the All Progressive Congress APC in 2014, the zone was considered the stronghold of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). At various times, stalwarts of the party from the zone served as the party’s national chairman; the late Chief Solomon Lar was the party’s first national chairman. Others from the North Central after him are Chief Audu Ogbeh, Chief Barnabas Germade and Chief Ahmadu Ali.

But general complaints then were that despite the presence of these people, North Central did not feel the presence of government in terms of infrastructural development; most of the federal roads then were in a parlous state. Serious political appointments considered “juicy” were not within the reach of the zone.

There is also what is considered the conspiracy of the far North against the North Central. At a point in time, the zone was not treated as an integral part of the North perse, except when the vote of the people was needed during elections. This has always been a source of concern to the zone.

The general perception was that the North Central under the previous administration of President Mohammadu Buhari was largely neglected and schemed out in diverse ways. The zone was alleged to have suffered insecurity, economic hardship, and perceived political marginalization in federal appointments.

From all indications, the geopolitical zone is currently traumatized as a result of banditry in nearly all the states within the zone. Farming, which is the mainstay of the zone economy, are being disrupted and are at the ebb. Efforts by the government to contain the unpleasant trend have been ineffective, with locals claiming that the response was inadequate.

Aside from this, other critical sectors such as education are being impacted by insecurity. In several local government areas, particularly in Kwara, Niger, Plateau, and Benue States, children have been out of schools for a long period of time due to banditry activity.

However, with the rise of presidential candidates on various political platforms, the North Central is establishing a framework for addressing the zone’s numerous challenges. Presently, the incumbent president is running for the second term on the platform of APC; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has picked the ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); Mr. Peter Obi is contesting on the platform of NDC; the Social Democratic Party has Adeeola Adebayo.

Others are, former Governor Donald Duke running on the platform of the People’s Redemption Party, Governor Seyi Makinde of Allied People’s Movement, Omoyele Sowore, African Action Congress and host of others.

The people of North Central have occasionally stated that they will vote for any candidate who can convince them that he has what it takes to address all of the unresolved issues plaguing the geopolitical zone, in addition to their respective manifesto. Their top demand is insecurity, which is a problem that affects the entire country but is particularly noticable in the North Central zone.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, individuals and groups in the zone voiced their displeasure with way successive governments have addressed insecurity in the geopolitical zone, arguing that security issues have been allowed to escalate beyound human comprehension and are progressively taking on a terrifying dimension.

Barrister Sule Kwasau, National President, Association of Middle Belt Ethnic Nationalities (ASOMBEN), stated that the North Central has not fared well. Kwasau commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for kicking off construction of the Akwanga-Jos-Gombe highway but swiftly pointed out that the zone has other terrible federal roads that need to be fixed.

He emphatically stated that the party and candidate who will win the vote of the electorate must be capable of taming the insecurity that’s destroying the various sections of the zone, emphasizing that what is most  important to the people at the moment is security of lives and properties.

“First and foremost, security must be restored, a candidate who has a realistic answer to the instability in the North Central would definitely get the support of the people,” he said.

But for almost 20 years, Plateau State have been a hotbed of terrorism and banditry, numerous people has been murdered, chased out of their ancestral lands, and had their means of livelihoods destroyed. For the typical Plateau man to make ends meet, peace and security are crucial.

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Professor Chris Kwaja, a Senior Advisor for Africa at the International Organization for the Least Developed Countries (OIPMA), emphasized that the region has long been a site of organized crime and conflict and that the state, and thus the North Central, is yearning for peace before any other demand.

According to him, the people need security not in the form of lip service but in concrete terms and reality, adding that whoever emerges should be able to prioritize this, adding that all those angling to govern Nigeria in 2027 should be able to come out with a sound blueprint on how to tame the monster.

He emphatically stated that any presidential candidate who has no strong agenda to tackle the insecurity in the North Central and, by extension, Nigeria has no business making an effort to govern the country.

“Once insecurity is tackled, other economic activities such as farming, commerce, and others will flourish. While the like of North Central Development Commission (NCDC) must equally be empowered for genuine industrialization of the zone,” he said.

Danjuma Auta , General Secretary of the  Plateau Indegenous Development Association (PIDAN), expressed sadness that the insecurity in the North Central has been uninterrupted for a very long time and stated that the zone and the entire Nigerians need a president who can alter the narrative.

He stated: We want to see who actually has different blueprint to tackle this situation or change the narrative because the security of lives and properties is what is crucial and important to us in Plateau State and by extension the North Central right now.

“Once there’s no peace, you cannot talk of any productive venture. Though there are other areas begging for attention such as roads, education but without peace all these are secondary. We want somebody with a masterpiece that can change narratives”

It is the same vein, the leader of the three socio-cultural groups in Benue State, Iorbee Ihagh who was a former comptroller of Prisons., stressed the necessity for a president who prioritizes the protection of lives and property in the upcoming general election.

The leaders of the three sociocultural groups in the state, Mdzough U Tiv, Ochetoha K’Idoma , and Omi Ny’Igede expressed concerns about the security situation in the state, lamenting that nearly every part of the state has turned to an epicenter of bloodbath.

Ihagh said, “There is no part of Benue State that has not witnessed severe attacks by the suspected armed herders, who consistently invaded our communities, killing and maiming innocent people.

“Our people are mostly farmers; unfortunately, these people cannot access their farms for fear of being killed. Benue is one of the states with the highest number of internally displaced persons in the country.”

The tribal leader noted that what the state needs most from those presidential candidates is the one that would be able to protect the lives of our people.

Ihagh who also doubles as the President General of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide, said, “The essence of government is to protect the lives and property of the citizens, and this is our primary demand in this part of the country.

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“A leader who will stop all these killings and kidnapping in our communities; we need adequate security that will allow everyone, especially our rural dwellers, to live in peace and be able to access their farms without being attacked.

“It’s then that we will be able to enjoy all the infrastructural developments the present administration is committed to do in our state.”

It is the same story in Kwara State, where security is at the forefront of political stakeholders agenda for presidential candidates in the 2027 general elections. In  separate interviews, stakeholders, including political players and university academics noted that the North Central Zone is currently located in the middle of Nigeria’s worst conflict belt.

They want the presidential candidates to find possible solutions to end security issues such as the farmer-herder crisis, kidnapping, and banditry. A lecturer in the department of Politics and Governance, Kwara State University (KWASU), Dr. Mohammed Danjuma and a chieftain of the APC in Kwara State, Alhaji Azeez Adebayo, said that security is number one issue to be tackled in the area.

The people also called for a smooth takeoff of state policing/community policing, ranching policy instead of open grazing, federal intervention in tackling banditry and justice for victims.

The stakeholders also called for intervention in the area of road infrastructure to assist agriculture development, saying that the middle belt should be inter-connected through road infrastructure.

“North Central is Nigeria’s food basket, but roads kill profits. Agriculture brings about food security. Kwara State needs more mechanized farming, especially in the Kwara North area; fertilizer subsidies that actually reach farmers; storage facilities; and protection of farmlands from attacks.

“Presidential candidates should make efforts to make Nigeria feed itself from North Central – Shonga Farms model, Patigi rice, and Benue yams. Candidates who bring investment deals here get votes,” Danjuma said.

According to Dr. Danjuma, the agenda for presidential candidates should not actually be party-specific. “It boils down to survival, economic growth, and development as well as fairness. Whoever shows up with concrete plans and includes people from the zone in their cabinet and not just campaign rallies should win the zone,” he added.

For many residents of Niger State,  insecurity remains the state’s most pressing challenge, particularly in Niger East and Niger North Senatorial Districts, where communities have continued to experience bandit attacks, kidnappings and deadly assaults. Several villages in the affected areas have reportedly been overrun by armed groups, with houses set ablaze and scores of residents killed during attacks.

The Imam of the Kontagora Community Mosque, Mallam Muhammadu Sani expressed concern over the worsening security situation, warning that the northern region risks descending into a failed society where the sanctity of human life is no longer respected and senseless killings have become a norm.

He appealed to voters not to support any candidate who lacks the ability or willingness to tackle the country’s security challenges.”Do not vote for any candidate who will fail to stand by Nigerians at this critical time. Insecurity has continued to plague the country, with the North bearing the greatest burden,” he said.

Despite other pressing demands such good roads, employment and perceived marginalization in terms of appointments, the people of North Central are more concerned with the insecurity and thus they believe that security should be the top priority of all the candidates, and that they must demonstrate a willingness and ability to tackle the menace, which has continued to affect other aspects of life.