*Insists on North-South Zoning
By Ola Kay
The Presidency has called on former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to shelve his ambition to contest the 2027 presidential election, insisting that it is the turn of the South based on power rotation arrangement.
This was stated by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his verified X handle, where he castigated the former VP for his renewed presidential bid, saying it a “self-serving” move that ignores the existing North-South zoning principle.
Mr.Onanuga took on Atiku’s who appeared on Arise Television at a recent interview, to express his plans for the forthcoming election, saying the politician’s ambition runs contrary to established political convention which has contributed largely to the democratic stability in the country since 1999.
Atiku, a leading contenders for the presidential ticket of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), stated on Arise interview which took place on Wednesday, that he would take his last shot at the highest political office come 2027.
The presidential spokesman carpeted the former VP to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in his post saying, “This Atiku will never learn,” the presidential spokesman wrote, accusing the former vice president of attempting to “disrupt Nigeria’s power rotation arrangement.”
Onanuga accused Atiku of ignoring the party’s zoning tradition then as a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), by going ahead to contest, in order to succeed a fellow northerner who had completed two terms in office.
The presidential aide argued that the decision by Atiku contributed to internal divisions within the PDP and ultimately led to Atiku’s defeat at the polls.
According to Onanuga, “His ambition fractured the PDP, leading to his resounding defeat at the polls.”
He argued further that the former VP appears set to “repeat history” in 2027 by nursing yet another ambition.
He also faulted Atiku’s argument that he (Atiku) is not bound by zoning because, in his view, the South has held power longer than the North since 1999. Onanuga described such a claim as “dubious political arithmetic,” stating that the imbalance cited by Atiku was occasioned by extraordinary circumstances, particularly the death of former President Umaru Yar’Adua in office, which led to the succession of then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan.
He maintained that such an occurrence does not invalidate the informal but widely observed power-sharing arrangement between the two regions.
Onanuga emphasized that following the completion of eight years by former President Muhammadu Buhari, it is only fair for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a southerner, to complete his own tenure.
“Since Buhari completed his eight years, Tinubu too must complete his own,” he stressed.
The presidential spokesman therefore called on Atiku to “bury the thought of running again,” warning that another attempt at the presidency for him would result in “spectacular failure.”
Despite the fact that VP Abubarka Atiku contested the presidency many times in the past, he has indicated his plan to make another bid for Nigeria’s top job come 2027, but time will tell if he can muster political sagacity enough to navigate the terrain in his party to emerge the candidate.
About The Author
