Atiku Abubakar Warns Against Zoning 2027 Ticket South

Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria, cautioned opposition parties against the decision to zone the 2027 presidential ticket exclusively to southern Nigeria. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olusola Sanni, Abubakar described such a move as intellectually dishonest and a self-defeating strategy.

He argued that the opposition must avoid emotional and moral arguments in favor of a realistic political strategy that builds coalitions capable of defeating the incumbent government. Abubakar pointed out that historically, no incumbent president has been defeated by an opposition candidate from the south, highlighting the imbalance in presidential occupancy between the north and south over the years.

He accused political figures of inconsistency, referencing the abandonment of zoning principles after the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in 2011. Abubakar concluded by urging the opposition to focus on creating a strong coalition rather than strengthening the re-election chances of the current president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.