A fresh war of words has erupted over Nigeria’s power rotation principle, as presidential aide Bayo Onanuga criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his comments on zoning and the 2027 presidential race.
Onanuga, in a post shared on Thursday, accused Atiku of advancing what he described as a self-serving argument aimed at undermining the long-standing North-South power rotation arrangement.
He argued that Atiku’s position ignores political realities and past agreements that have shaped Nigeria’s democratic transitions since 1999.
The presidential aide referenced the 2023 general election, noting that Atiku, who contested under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had gone against the party’s zoning tradition by seeking to succeed a fellow northerner after eight years of northern leadership.
According to him, that decision contributed to internal divisions within the party and its eventual loss at the polls.
Onanuga further insisted that the current political arrangement supports the continuation of power in the South, following the completion of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, adding that President Bola Tinubu should be allowed to complete his term in line with the rotation principle.
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His remarks were in response to Atiku’s recent interview on Prime Time, a programme on ARISE Television, where the former vice-president reiterated his support for institutionalising rotational presidency through a constitutional amendment.
Atiku had argued that while he supports zoning, a constitutional framework would provide a more stable and equitable system for power-sharing across the country.
He also claimed that the South has held presidential power longer than the North since the return to democracy, raising questions about fairness in the current arrangement.
Reflecting on past constitutional debates, Atiku acknowledged opposing a similar proposal by the late former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, a decision he now says he regrets.
However, Onanuga dismissed Atiku’s reasoning, describing his political calculations as flawed and insisting that the circumstances surrounding the shortened tenure of late President Umaru Yar’Adua do not invalidate the broader zoning framework.
The exchange highlights deepening political tensions ahead of the 2027 elections, with debates over zoning, equity, and constitutional reforms expected to shape alignments across party lines in the coming months.