Nigeria, April 28 -- The usual rhetoric of marginalising the north and protecting the region's interests has once again taken the centre stage. Hakeem Baba Ahmed - a leader of the Northern Elder's Forum (NEF) recently reinforced the usual position of the north on national television. He warned that marginalisation of the region should stop and that no candidate can win the 2027 elections without the northern support. He further emphasised that; the north would soon define its political direction. "In the next six months, the North will decide where it stands. Incidentally, this was not the first time Baba Ahmed reminded Nigeria of the consequences of marginalising the north whenever the nation warms up for elections.

Before the 2023 elec...