According to a report by the Punch on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, fresh divisions have surfaced within Nigeria’s opposition camp ahead of the 2027 presidential election after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar reportedly argued that no southern opposition candidate could defeat President Bola Tinubu in the next general election.
The position immediately sparked reactions from several opposition parties and political groups, including the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Labour Party, Young Progressives Party, Social Democratic Party, New Nigeria People’s Party and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, all of which insisted that power should remain in the South for the sake of fairness, political stability and national balance.
The controversy followed remarks credited to Atiku’s media aide, Olusola Sanni, who warned opposition parties against zoning their presidential tickets to the South, arguing that no southern challenger had previously unseated a sitting southern president in Nigeria’s political history.
Reacting to the statement, APGA spokesman Ejimofor Opara defended the continuation of power in the South and dismissed suggestions of a single four-year presidency arrangement by any southern aspirant. He stated, “Any other southerner promising a four-year single tenure is a fraudster.”
Other opposition figures also argued that competence and leadership ability should matter more than regional calculations, especially as Nigerians continue to grapple with economic hardship, insecurity and rising dissatisfaction with governance.
Labour Party spokesman Ken Asogwa maintained that the 2023 presidential election already proved that voting patterns in Nigeria go beyond regional identity, insisting that the electorate was more interested in credible leadership than geography.
The disagreement has further exposed cracks within the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections, with analysts warning that the growing debate over zoning and power rotation may shape future political alliances across the country……See More
Leave a Reply