Ahmadu Fintiri, governor of Adamawa State, has said no politician from northern Nigeria should contest the 2027 presidential election, insisting that power should remain in the south for the sake of equity and national unity.

Fintiri, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in February, made the remarks on Tuesday during an appearance on a television programme.

While acknowledging that any Nigerian is constitutionally qualified to seek the presidency, he argued that the south should be allowed to complete an eight-year tenure before power returns to the north.

“It is still the turn of the south. A northerner has no business at the moment to vie for the office of the president,” he said.

Fintiri urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu in completing two terms in office.

“After all, he has done so much. He initiated good policies that are working, showing us light at the end of the tunnel,” he added.

Speaking on his relationship with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Fintiri said there is no personal rift between them, but noted that their political paths have diverged.

“Nothing has gone bad but everybody has taken their political ways. I am today in APC, they are in another party,” he said.

Abubakar, who was the PDP’s presidential candidate in 2023, resigned from the party in July 2025 and formally joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in November 2025. He has since declared his intention to contest the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Adamawa-born politician has contested for the presidency six times and has appeared on the ballot as a presidential candidate in 2007, 2019 and 2023.