Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has urged political players to guard the long-standing principle of rotating the presidency between the North and the South, warning that it remains a stabilising glue for Nigeria’s peace and cohesion.
Gbajabiamila sounded the note on Saturday in Abuja at a national summit organised by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), themed “National Unity and Nation Building; Beyond 2031.”
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said the rotational arrangement was carefully crafted as a pressure valve—meant to manage differences, douse tensions, avert avoidable conflict and keep the nation marching, however slowly, on the road to unity and progress.
He noted that forging unity across ethnic and tribal fault lines does not happen by accident but by design, requiring deliberate engagement, sustained dialogue, cross-regional partnerships and narratives that recognise the worth and dignity of every group.
According to him, leaders must repeatedly drive home the message that disagreement is not enmity, diversity is not disloyalty, and compromise in the national interest is not a sign of weakness but of mature leadership.
“Political actors such as those gathered here occupy a uniquely influential position. Your words shape public discourse. Your conduct models acceptable behaviour. Your choices either expand or constrain the space for cooperation.
“The principle of a rotational presidency between North and South stands as one of the clearest expressions of principled compromise in the service of our national interest.
“It was not borne out of weakness, but of the wisdom of earlier generations of political leaders who understood that in a diverse nation such as ours, inclusion is the foundation of stability,” he said.
Gbajabiamila cautioned those bent on dismantling the rotational presidency in pursuit of narrow, short-term ambitions to tread carefully and reflect deeply.
He stressed that no personal ambition or fleeting political gain should be allowed to upset the delicate balance holding the country together or elevate individual desires above Nigeria’s long-term interests and the collective welfare of its people.
The former lawmaker identified the temptation to weaponise identity as a shortcut to power as a major fault line in Nigerian politics, warning that ethnic and tribal loyalties—deeply rooted in history and culture—could easily be twisted into tools of exclusion.
While such tactics may deliver quick wins, he said, they often leave deep scars on national cohesion.
“When political competition is conducted in ways that amplify ethnic suspicion, tribal rivalry or religious fear, it corrodes trust and weakens the foundations of the state,” he warned.
Gbajabiamila added that prolonged internal division would come at a heavy price, weakening Nigeria’s capacity to withstand external economic shocks, worsening social and security challenges, and exposing the country to unfavourable terms in trade, finance and security in a competitive global arena.
According to him, disunity at this critical moment does not merely slow progress but multiplies risks, deepens vulnerability and passes insecurity from one generation to another.
“We must therefore be clear about the stakes. National unity is not an abstract moral aspiration.
“It is a strategic necessity. It is the foundation upon which economic resilience, national security, social stability and international credibility are built.
“Without unity, development plans falter, reforms lose momentum and the promise of prosperity recedes further from reach,” he said.
Gbajabiamila reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to engaging Nigerians across all divides with fairness, inclusion and a shared sense of responsibility, adding that the administration remains focused on strengthening unity through equitable development and responsive governance.
“Let us, therefore, leave this summit resolved to speak, act, and lead differently.
“Let us commit to a politics that seeks to persuade rather than provoke, to unite rather than divide and to elevate rather than diminish our common humanity,” he said.
