Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has opposed the push by some opposition figures to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria, describing the move as “self-defeating” and “intellectually dishonest.”
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olusola Sanni, Atiku argued that competence, coalition-building, and electoral strategy should take priority over regional considerations ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
According to him, it would be politically unrealistic for the opposition to field a southern candidate against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is also from the South.
“The first and most obvious question is this: how does a Southern opposition candidate realistically unseat a sitting Southern president?” Atiku said.
“No incumbent president has ever been defeated by an opposition challenger from the same geopolitical bloc. To insist otherwise is to enter the contest already defeated.”
Related Posts:
Atiku further argued that the moral justification for southern zoning had weakened, noting that the South would have spent more years in power than the North by 2027.
He also accused some political actors of hypocrisy for abandoning zoning principles in 2011 after the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, only to now insist on rotational presidency.
While acknowledging the Southeast’s aspiration to produce a president, Atiku warned against reducing the demand to what he described as “transactional political bargaining.”
Meanwhile, former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has declared support for zoning the presidency to the South in 2027.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, Kwankwaso said leaders within the opposition coalition had resolved to support a southern presidential candidate to maintain national balance and reduce tensions around power rotation.
He also expressed willingness to serve as running mate to former Anambra State governor Peter Obi if adopted by the alliance.
“If the party decides that I should be the running mate of any candidate from the south under the circumstances, I will be happy to work together with him,” Kwankwaso said.
He maintained that quality leadership should be the primary consideration rather than regional politics.
“What is key now is not presidency from the North or from the South. What is key is to have quality leadership, people who are enthusiastic, determined and committed to give the country the leadership it deserves,” he added.
Kwankwaso praised Obi as a credible partner in the effort to reposition Nigeria, saying he could not think of a better political combination capable of delivering effective leadership for the country.
He also defended the growing alliance between the Kwankwassiya Movement and the Obidient Movement, insisting that both groups are gaining support from Nigerians dissatisfied with the current state of governance.
According to him, the 2027 election will ultimately be “between Nigerians and the leaders,” as citizens continue to grapple with economic hardship, insecurity and governance challenges.
