THE Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his comments on North-South power rotation ahead of the 2027 general election.
News Point Nigeria reports that Onanuga maintained that President Bola Tinubu must complete two terms in office, insisting that the presidency should remain in the South until 2031.
“Since Buhari completed his eight years, Tinubu too must complete his own,” Onanuga wrote in a post on X on Thursday.
He added that Atiku should abandon any plans of contesting again, stressing that it is still the South’s turn in the 2027 election.
“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,” he said.
The presidential aide further accused Atiku of advancing what he described as a “self-serving argument” aimed at disrupting Nigeria’s informal zoning arrangement.
“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,” Onanuga stated.
He also recalled the events of the 2023 election cycle, noting that Atiku, as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), disregarded the party’s zoning principle.
“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,” he said.
According to him, that decision fractured the PDP and contributed to Atiku’s defeat at the polls.
“His ambition fractured the PDP, leading to his resounding defeat at the polls,” Onanuga added.
Onanuga’s remarks followed Atiku’s appearance on Prime Time on Arise TV on Wednesday, where the former vice president addressed the zoning debate while responding to questions about his potential 2027 presidential ambition.
During the interview, Atiku dismissed claims that there is a binding national agreement on power rotation.
“No, I think this is an error and a mistake to say that there is an agreement on the issue of zoning in Nigeria,” he said.
He argued that the only political party with a formal zoning provision is the PDP.
“Let me tell you, the only political party that has a zoning provision in its constitution is the PDP. All the rest don’t have it. So if anything, all the other political parties are borrowing or learning from PDP’s zoning formula,” Atiku said.
Despite his reservations, Atiku affirmed his support for the principle of rotational leadership.
“I agree with the principle,” he said, while referencing discussions at the 2004 National Political Reforms Conference convened under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
On the balance of power since 1999, Atiku argued that the South has held the presidency longer than the North.
“But if we are talking about the zoning formula in the PDP, the South has governed for 18 years and the North has governed for 10. So who is in a deficit if you want to be fair?” he asked.
He also reiterated his willingness to support a consensus candidate for the 2027 election.
“The most practical option is to have a consensus,” Atiku said, adding that he would back whoever emerges, including Peter Obi or any other aspirant.
Atiku further indicated that the 2027 election would likely mark his final attempt at the presidency.
Responding to Atiku’s position, Onanuga described his argument as “dubious,” rejecting his interpretation of Nigeria’s power-sharing arrangement.
“His political arithmetic is dubious,” he said.
He argued that the North’s shorter time in office was due to extraordinary circumstances, particularly the death of former President Umaru Yar’Adua, which led to the succession of Goodluck Jonathan.
“He conveniently overlooks the fact that the North’s shorter tenure was due to the untimely death of President Umaru Yar’Adua, which led to President Goodluck Jonathan’s succession.
“This accidental breach does not invalidate the power rotation arrangement between the North and the South,” Onanuga added.