Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has faulted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his comments on North-South power rotation ahead of the 2027 presidential election, insisting that President Bola Tinubu must complete two terms in office.
In a post shared on X on Thursday, Onanuga said the South should retain the presidency until 2031 in line with the country’s informal power-sharing arrangement.
“Since Buhari completed his eight years, Tinubu too must complete his own,” he wrote.
He further urged Atiku to abandon any ambition of contesting the 2027 election, saying it remains the South’s turn to produce Nigeria’s president.
Describing Atiku’s position as self-serving, Onanuga accused the former vice president of attempting to undermine the nation’s rotational presidency arrangement for personal political gain.
He argued that Atiku’s decision to contest the 2023 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party disregarded the party’s zoning principle and contributed to internal divisions that weakened the PDP’s chances at the polls.
Onanuga’s remarks came in response to Atiku’s interview on Arise Television, where the former vice president dismissed claims of a binding national agreement on zoning.
According to Atiku, the only political party with a constitutional zoning provision is the Peoples Democratic Party, while other parties merely adopt similar arrangements informally.
Despite this, Atiku said he supports rotational leadership and recalled past debates on the issue during the 2004 National Political Reforms Conference under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He also argued that since 1999, the South has held presidential power longer than the North, claiming the South has governed for 18 years compared to the North’s 10 years.
Atiku added that he would support a consensus opposition candidate for the 2027 election, including former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, if such a candidate emerges.
Reacting, Onanuga dismissed Atiku’s calculations as flawed, noting that the North’s reduced years in office were caused by the death of former President Umaru Yar'Adua, which led to the succession of Goodluck Jonathan.
He maintained that Yar’Adua’s death did not invalidate the North-South rotation understanding in Nigerian politics.
ELIJAH ADEYEMI
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