Balewa Served 6yrs, Shagari, 4, OBJ, 8, Yar'Adua, 2, GEJ, 5yrs, North Has 1yr Deficit -Jaafar Bello

PDP chieftain Jaafar Bello has said the North has not spent as many years in political leadership as the South since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, arguing that the power-sharing balance between the two regions remains slightly uneven.

He made this known during an interview on Trust TV, where he analyzed Nigeria’s leadership rotation and the distribution of presidential tenures between the North and South.

Bello explained that although both regions have produced presidents since the return to democracy, the South has cumulatively held power for a longer period, leaving the North marginally behind in what he described as the informal rotation arrangement.

He referenced several past leaders and their years in office, including Tafawa Balewa, Shehu Shagari, Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan, noting their respective tenures and how they factor into the broader calculation of regional political balance.

According to him, when these tenures are added and compared within the context of Nigeria’s power-sharing expectations, the North still records a slight deficit of about one year.

In his words, he stated:

“Tafawa Balewa served for 6 years, Shehu Shagari served for 4 years, then we have Chief Olusegun Obasanjo with 8 years. 

Then we have Umaru Musa Yar’Adua with 2 years, making it 4 again for the North, then we have Chief Goodluck Ebele Jonathan with 5 years. The North is left with a deficit of one year.”

His remarks have since sparked debate among political observers, with differing interpretations of Nigeria’s informal zoning and rotational presidency arrangement.