Yar’adua’s Death Shotchanged The North In Power Rotation – Presidency, Advises Atiku To Shelve Ambition

By Ayodele Oni 

The Presidency has accused former Vice President Abubakar Atiku of attempting to undermine the long-standing North-South zoning principle ahead of the next general election.

It warned the former Vice President against pursuing another presidential bid in 2027. Atiku has, however, signified to contest for the last time for the presidency next year on the ticket of African Democratic Congress (ADC).

 Atiku Abubakar had reignited the national conversation on power rotation by asserting that the Southern region of Nigeria has spent more years in power than the North since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

 Speaking during a recent engagement, Atiku addressed the sensitive issue of zoning and power shift, which has remained a recurring theme in Nigerian politics, especially as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.

According to Atiku, a careful review of the democratic period shows that Southern leadership has cumulatively held the presidency for a longer duration than the North. 

He used this observation to argue that any rigid adherence to zoning must take historical realities into account, rather than being based solely on emotional or regional sentiments.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, argued that Atiku’s stance mirrors his actions during the 2023 election cycle, when he contested as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate despite internal expectations that power should shift to the South after the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari. 

According to him, that decision deepened divisions within the party and contributed to its electoral loss.

Reacting to Atiku’s interview on Arise TV, Onanuga dismissed the former Vice President’s claim that the South has held power longer than the North since 1999, describing the argument as misleading and self-serving.

He noted that the North’s shorter time in office was largely due to the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010, which led to the constitutional succession of Goodluck Jonathan.

The presidential aide maintained that this circumstance does not invalidate the zoning arrangement, insisting that the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is entitled to complete its tenure as part of the rotational balance.

Onanuga further cautioned Atiku against what he described as a repeat of past political miscalculations, labeling him a “serial contender” and predicting another defeat if he joins the 2027 race.

He urged the former Vice President to abandon any renewed ambition and respect the existing power-sharing framework, stressing that it remains the South’s turn to produce the next President.