Desist from Seeking Second Term, Christian Elders Tell Tinubu, Demand New Constitution before 2027
Group Cites Insecurity, Economy, “Tone-Deaf” Muslim-Muslim Ticket in 10-Point Resolution
By Our Correspondent
As political realignments begin ahead of the 2027 general elections, Nigeria’s apex body of Christian elders has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to seek re-election.
The National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, in resolutions issued after its July 2026 meeting and signed by its Chairman, Dr. Samuel Danjuma Gani, CON, said the President should instead “commit the rest of his tenure to restructuring Nigeria and giving her a new constitution.”
The 10-point statement, titled “Towards 2027 Elections”, released on July 9, has already sparked debate across political and faith circles.
It represents one of the most direct calls yet from a prominent Christian group for the President to step aside.
The Elders’ central grievance is governance. That the Tinubu-led Federal Government’s performance in the critical areas of national security, economic development and the wellbeing of the citizenry has been hugely sub-optimal and manifestly disappointing,” the Forum stated.
They cited Section 14(2)b of the 1999 Constitution, “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” to argue that the administration has fallen short.
“The direction in which the Tinubu presidency is leading the nation offers increasing apprehension rather than hope,” the statement read.
“This state of affairs has left all patriots with no option but to call on President Tinubu to please desist from seeking re-election for a second term.”
The NCEF did not mince words on religion and politics. It described the current Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket as “tone-deaf and grossly insensitive particularly at a period, like now, when Islamist terrorists are ravaging the country, and Christians are at the receiving end of the widespread violence, unabated killings and unspeakable atrocities.”
On zoning, the Forum said while North/South rotation is “not a written constitutional clause, it is good and effectual for national stability, equity and inclusivity.”
For that reason, it urged Nigerians to “support a Southern candidature in 2027 for the four remaining years of the South’s current turn.”
The Forum put the judiciary “on notice”, saying “the nation is now at a tipping point and can no longer afford any semblance of judicial bias in their handling of electoral matters.”
It also told INEC to “remind itself that it is not an arm of any political party but a federal institution that must stay independent, neutral and beyond reproach to henceforth always deliver credible, free, and fair elections.”
The Elders further demanded “an urgent in-depth, independent enquiry” into the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC, scandal, which they called “an indictment of the Tinubu administration.”
They also drew a historical parallel, saying “flagrant compromise of national institutions by the current administration is reminiscent of the dark days of General Babangida’s military administration, and this is unacceptable.”
The NCEF called for a new constitution for Nigeria before the 2027 elections, and urged that the process “be jointly spearheaded forthwith by the ethnic nationalities under the socio-cultural groups and other relevant interest groups.”
The group warned that, “Nigerians obviously want a change for the better and the continued patience of the long-suffering public must no longer be taken for granted.”
The statement comes as parties begin internal discussions on 2027 tickets and as concerns over insecurity, inflation, and governance dominate public discourse.
Recalled that the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, in a separate meeting with President Tinubu on July 28, also raised concerns about insecurity, credible elections and the place of Christians in national life.
Whether the Presidency will respond to NCEF’s call remains to be seen. But with 18 months to the next elections, the Forum’s resolutions signal that faith-based groups intend to be central players in shaping the 2027 conversation.
20
Post Comment