Nigeria, May 14 -- Niger State is setting a pace many states have avoided: making zoning legally binding. The state government announced plans to gazette a zoning system for elective positions, turning an informal arrangement into enforceable policy.

Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago revealed this during a strategic meeting with APC stakeholders and aspirants at the Hauwa Wali Multipurpose Hall in Minna. The motive is straightforward: to ensure power rotates fairly across all 25 local government areas, and in doing so, secure lasting peace and political stability.

The plan is deliberate. Bago said a public hearing and other steps will be completed before 2027, with a clear rule: no local government will hold office for more than eight years...