Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned opposition politicians against insisting that the 2027 presidential ticket must return to the South, arguing that such a strategy could hand President Bola Ahmed Tinubu an easy route to a second term.
In a strongly worded statement released by his camp, Atiku maintained that it would be politically unrealistic for the opposition to defeat a sitting southern president by fielding another major southern candidate.
According to the statement, Nigeria’s political history offers little evidence that such a strategy could succeed, especially against an incumbent with the advantages of power and incumbency.
“At the centre of the debate is a simple question: how can a southern opposition candidate realistically remove a sitting southern president?” the statement asked.
The former vice president’s camp argued that opposition parties should concentrate on building a strong national coalition capable of challenging the ruling party instead of focusing on what it described as emotional zoning arguments.
It warned that prioritising regional sentiment over political calculations could weaken the opposition before the election even begins.
The statement further suggested that insisting on another southern candidacy against Tinubu would amount to entering the race at a disadvantage from the outset.
According to Atiku’s camp, defeating an incumbent president requires strategic thinking, broad national appeal, and realistic political planning rather than symbolic gestures.
The statement also took aim at supporters of southern zoning, accusing some of them of hypocrisy and selective political memory.
It recalled that several politicians currently advocating rotational justice had previously supported former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, despite strong arguments at the time that power should return to the North following the death of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
“Atiku’s camp believes it is inconsistent for individuals who defended a southern presidency in 2011 to now present themselves as champions of zoning fairness,” the statement noted.
On the issue of power balance, the former vice president’s camp argued that by 2027, the South would have spent significantly more years in power than the North since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
According to the figures presented, the South would have occupied the presidency for 18 years, while the North would have held power for only 10 years within the same democratic era.
The statement questioned the fairness of extending southern control of the presidency under the banner of equity and inclusion.
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Although the camp acknowledged the Southeast’s aspiration to produce Nigeria’s president, it criticised what it called superficial political arrangements and “tokenistic” alliances that may not genuinely advance the region’s long-term interests.
Atiku’s camp concluded by urging opposition parties to avoid divisive zoning battles and instead focus on forming a united national front capable of unseating Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.