A fierce political battle is taking shape within Nigeria’s opposition ahead of the 2027 presidential election, as major political figures clash over one key question — should the presidency remain in the South, or should the opposition focus only on presenting the strongest candidate capable of defeating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as one of the strongest voices against zoning within the opposition. According to Atiku, insisting that the opposition must field another southern candidate simply because Tinubu is from the South would amount to “political self-sabotage.” He believes elections are won through strategy, political structure, and national support rather than regional sentiment.
Backing Atiku’s position is veteran journalist and ADC chieftain Dele Momodu, who argued that zoning should not distract Nigerians from more pressing national issues such as insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, and poor electricity supply. Momodu maintained that Nigeria’s political reality is driven by numbers and voter distribution across regions, not emotions or ethnic balancing.
Using voting statistics from the 2023 presidential election, Momodu argued that Peter Obi enjoyed massive support mainly in the South-East and parts of the South-South, while both Atiku and Tinubu performed strongly across several northern states. According to him, any opposition coalition hoping to unseat Tinubu in 2027 must focus on electoral strength rather than regional considerations.
However, not everyone within the opposition agrees with Atiku’s approach. Former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has reportedly backed the idea of zoning the opposition ticket to the South. Kwankwaso also expressed willingness to serve as running mate to Peter Obi if it would help unite opposition forces ahead of 2027.
The differing positions have further exposed divisions within opposition parties, with some politicians pushing for an Obi–Kwankwaso alliance while others remain loyal to Atiku’s presidential ambition.
Momodu also warned that the ruling All Progressives Congress could benefit if opposition parties fail to unite behind a single strong candidate. “APC and Tinubu must know there is no victory for them if they don’t drum up the zoning issue,” Momodu said during the interview.
Despite growing calls for generational change and a fresh political direction, Momodu insisted that Atiku has every constitutional right to contest again and should not be pressured to step aside for any candidate……..See More
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