Niger State governor, Umar Bago, has declared that there was no chance of power returning to the North in 2027, insisting that President Bola Tinubu must be allowed to complete his constitutionally guaranteed eight years in office.
Speaking on TVC’s ‘Politics on Sunday’ with Femi Akande, Bago said those agitating for a northern presidency after only two years of Tinubu’s tenure were acting in bad faith and against the zoning arrangement that has kept Nigeria stable.
“For crying out loud, this man has just spent two years in office and you want it to come back to the North. How?” the governor asked.
Bago, who described Niger State as a “pilot state” for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North, openly declared himself the Director-General of Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
He said there was “no going back” on the decision and announced that the campaign headquarters would be situated in Minna, the Niger State capital.
“I have made myself the DG of Tinubu’s campaign for 2027 and no going back about that. Our headquarters will be in Minna. The President has the prerogative to appoint somebody, but Niger State is ready to lead from the North,” he said.
The governor argued that rotational presidency has kept Nigeria’s fragile political balance intact, stressing that his state would continue to mobilise youths and voters across the North in favour of Tinubu.
“These people you are talking about don’t control the youths. We control the youths, and the youths are with Asiwaju. Don’t worry about what people say. As far as we are concerned in Niger State, Asiwaju 2027 is constant,” Bago added.
He dismissed critics of Tinubu’s administration, saying the President had freed up funds previously diverted into subsidy rackets and bunkering cartels, directing them instead into people-centred projects. According to him, this shift was already winning back opposition figures in Niger into the APC.
“People are marrying new wives, civil servants are being employed after 10 years, roads are being constructed, and you’re saying the man who made it possible is not a good man? It’s not true. Those who used to divert subsidy money will not be happy, but ordinary people are excited,” he said.
Bago also addressed concerns over his decision to dissolve his cabinet, saying it would not disrupt governance. He explained that Niger was building lasting institutions and not individuals.
“If you understand the politics of Niger State, we have a zoning formula. Commissioners are only appointed, they are not institutions. Permanent secretaries are institutions, and even in the absence of a governor, things should not stop. In one month, we are going to have a new cabinet,” he said.
The governor defended his administration’s ambitious infrastructure programme, saying Niger’s revenue profile had grown significantly and the state could fund its projects without stress.
“I don’t know why people are taking Panadol for my headache. If we don’t have the resources, we wouldn’t have ventured into the projects. We have tripled our income from the federation account and from our IGR we are making ₦10bn monthly,” he said.
On borrowing, Bago said loans would be channelled only into projects with long-term value. He cited the planned Abuja–Minna rail line as an example.
“There is no problem with borrowing; there are agencies to regulate borrowing. We have not reached 20 percent of the borrowing threshold. Abuja is congested, agriculture will drive people to Niger State, so the best thing to do is build a rail line to Minna.
“If we borrow to build this rail line that our children will pay for, I don’t think it is something bad. We cannot borrow to buy cars, but we can borrow to put infrastructure that will outlive us,” he said.
Bago, who is popularly called the ‘Farmer Governor’, said both the federal and state governments were investing massively in agriculture, a move he claimed had already lowered food prices.
“The prices of foods are down and farmers are very happy. We have also secured a contract to supply bananas to Russia. We are not distracted by politicking; our focus is on projects that lift people out of poverty,” he said.
The Niger governor acknowledged insecurity in the state but downplayed its impact, describing it as “insignificant.” He said his administration was working with security agencies to clear dangerous forests and monitor religious preaching.
“We have a local government, Borgu, that is bigger than the entire South-East. It has reserves and those lands have been left for long, becoming dangerous. We should clear those bushes. I didn’t ban evangelism, I only said anyone going to preach should bring the sermon for review. Even in Saudi Arabia, it is done. Because you are a clergy doesn’t mean you should preach against the people or government,” he explained.
Bago also reiterated his strong support for the creation of state police, saying it would bring policing closer to the people.
“I am an advocate of state police. There is no local government in Nigeria that doesn’t have vigilantes, so why don’t you convert them to police? People from every local government or ward should recruit people to police them. With state police, we will change the narrative,” he said, urging President Tinubu and the National Assembly to urgently pass the bill into law.
