The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has publicly urged President Bola Tinubu to rule out a second-term bid in the 2027 elections, arguing that his administration has fallen far short of expectations on security, the economy and the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
The position was contained in a communiqué dated July 9, signed by NCEF national chairman Samuel Gani, and reported by The Cable on Friday, July 31.
In the document, the forum described the federal government’s handling of critical national issues as “hugely sub-optimal,” stating that the direction of the Tinubu presidency offered “increasing apprehension rather than hope.”
The elders argued that patriots had no option but to urge the president to forgo a second term and instead focus the remainder of his tenure on restructuring Nigeria and delivering a new constitution.
The forum also renewed its condemnation of Tinubu’s decision to run in 2023 alongside a fellow Muslim, Vice President Kashim Shettima, describing the move as “tone-deaf and grossly insensitive” at a time when Christians were bearing the brunt of violence across the country.
The elders linked this concern to what they described as ongoing killings and atrocities going unpunished.
On the question of succession, the NCEF acknowledged that north-south power rotation is not enshrined in the constitution but argued that it remains essential for national cohesion, urging Nigerians to support a southern candidate in 2027 based on what it described as the south’s current turn in the rotation arrangement.
The forum also demanded an independent investigation into the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), describing the controversy surrounding it as a direct indictment of the Tinubu administration and comparing what it called the “flagrant compromise of national institutions” to the conduct of General Ibrahim Babangida’s military government.
Warnings were also issued to the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The elders cautioned judges against perceived bias in election disputes, stating that Nigeria “is now at a tipping point” where judicial partiality could prove deeply damaging, while urging INEC to protect its independence and deliver free, fair and credible elections.
Closing the communiqué, the forum warned that the patience of Nigerians enduring prolonged hardship “must no longer be taken for granted,” signalling a growing frustration among citizens demanding meaningful change.
