Dare Babalola
The Presidency on Friday launched an attack on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent comments on Nigeria’s power rotation principle, accusing him of pursuing a “self-serving” political agenda capable of destabilising the country’s zoning arrangement.
In a post on X, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, criticised Atiku’s renewed opposition to the North-South rotation of power, warning that such a stance could once again lead to electoral failure.
Onanuga wrote, “This Atiku will never learn. Once again, Abubakar Atiku has put forward a self-serving argument to justify his attempt to disrupt Nigeria’s power rotation arrangement.”
The presidential aide recalled the circumstances surrounding the 2023 general election, noting that Atiku, as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, went against the party’s zoning tradition by contesting to succeed a fellow northerner who had completed two terms in office.
According to him, that decision triggered internal divisions within the opposition party and weakened its chances at the polls.
“In 2023, as a member of the PDP—a party that, like others, practices zoning—Atiku disregarded the established formula and sought to succeed a fellow northerner, who had spent eight years in office. His ambition fractured the PDP, leading to his resounding defeat at the polls,” Onanuga stated.
He further warned that the former vice president appeared set to repeat what he described as past political miscalculations ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Now, he stands poised to repeat history and face another doom. Another spectacular failure awaits this perennial candidate in the next election,” he added.
Onanuga also referenced Atiku’s recent interview, where he reportedly argued that he was not bound by the zoning principle, claiming that the South had spent more years in power since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
Dismissing the claim, the presidential spokesman described the argument as flawed and misleading.
“In his interview, Atiku revisited his 2023 argument on the North-South power rotation. In a brazenly self-serving twist, he insisted he is not bound by the rotation formula. His political arithmetic is dubious,” Onanuga said.
He explained that any perceived imbalance in years spent in office between the North and South was largely due to unforeseen circumstances, particularly the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, which led to the constitutional succession of Goodluck Jonathan.
According to him, this development did not invalidate the long-standing zoning arrangement, which he described as critical to maintaining political stability and inclusiveness in the country.
Onanuga maintained that the South is entitled to retain the presidency until 2027, following the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, insisting that President Tinubu must be allowed to complete his expected two-term cycle.
“This accidental breach does not invalidate the power rotation arrangement between the North and the South. Since Buhari completed his eight years, Tinubu too must complete his own,” he said.
In a pointed remark that also hinted at shifting opposition dynamics, Onanuga suggested that Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, may need to reconsider his political alignment, amid speculation about his association with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“All Atiku needs to do is to bury the thought of running again, as it is still the South’s turn in the 2027 election,” Onanuga added.
