Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The Northern Frontiers Forum has condemned plots by some Aso Villa cabals to push the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume as the running mate to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
This is coming just as reports are flying from The Presidency that the vice president, Senator Kassim Shettina has been dropped as President Bola Tinubu’s runningmate as a result of the agitations against a Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027.
The group which reacted to another report that some Aso Villa cabals are pressing for Senator George Akume to be named as the running mate to the president in the forthcoming election said that the entire Northern region will come against the plot if it eventually comes true
Speaking in press statement signed and made available to journalists in Abuja this evening, the Convener of the Northern Frontiers Forum, Alhaji Gidado Usmar, PhD condemned the arrangement to drop Shettina and replace him with Senator Akume, saying that the SGF isn’t a good choice because he will be roundly rejected by the entire Northern region.
The group added that it’s better to leave a Muslim (Shettima) to continue as vice president instead of Senator George Akume who has reduced the exalted office of the SGF to nothing as a result of his pettiness.
The group recalled media reports which had accused Senator Akume of using his office as the SGF to encourage fulani attacks, noting that such person shouldn’t be trusted with a revered office such as that of the vice president.
“If Senator George Akume couldn’t use his office and experience as a politician to bring his party together in his home state, how will he be able to unite the entire country as a vice president.
“We would rather prefer a Muslim-Muslim ticket with VP Shettima instead of the SGF who has encouraged drinking of alcohol indiscriminately in his official office” the group stated.
The group however called on President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the All Progressive Congress to look for a responsible running mate in the North Central of the party wishes to resent a Muslim-Christian ticket to balance the equation in 2027.