Atiku cautions opposition parties against designating Presidential ticket to South

In a warning regarding the 2027 presidential race, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar cautioned opposition parties against designating their ticket to the South.

He argued that this tactic could jeopardize their ability to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu effectively.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olusola Sanni, Atiku labeled such a strategy as “self-defeating and intellectually dishonest,” asserting that political decisions should be driven by strategy and “sound electoral mathematics,” rather than mere emotional appeals.

He posed a critical question: “How can a Southern opposition candidate realistically defeat a sitting Southern president?” pointing out that historically, no incumbent president has lost to an opposition candidate from the same region.

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Atiku’s camp also noted that by 2027, the South will have held power for roughly 18 years during the Fourth Republic, whereas the North would have held it for about 10 years, making the rationale for zoning based on equity harder to sustain.

He further charged some politicians with hypocrisy, as they previously supported Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency following Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s death in 2011, yet are now advocating for zoning as a vital principle.

Nevertheless, he emphasized that the Southeast should be offered “a sustainable and credible pathway to national leadership,” rather than mere “symbolic tokenism.”