Key figures from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) have advised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to abandon any plans to contest the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the South should retain power for eight years.
Diran Odeyemi, a member of the PDP’s National Executive Committee, and LP chieftain Anslem Eragbe emphasized that while President Bola Tinubu may not necessarily be the candidate, the presidency should remain in the South until 2031.
In an interview, Eragbe stated that Atiku should not have contested in 2023, arguing that power rotation should have favored a southern candidate.
“Atiku should have stepped aside in 2023 because it was the South’s turn to lead. The power-sharing arrangement dictates that the South retains the presidency until 2031,” Eragbe said.
Although he acknowledged Atiku’s right to run, he maintained that the 2027 presidency should go to the South-South, specifically the former Mid-Western region, which includes Edo and Delta states. He urged political parties to adhere to zoning principles for fairness and balance.
Eragbe noted that if President Tinubu secures re-election in 2027, power should shift back to the North in 2031. He also pointed out that the South-South had occupied the presidency for the shortest time, with Goodluck Jonathan serving only five years. Comparing past leadership tenures, he highlighted that the North-Central had governed for nearly 18 years, the North-West for over 17 years, and by 2027, the South-West would have been in power for over 15 years.
Calling for merit-based candidate selection, he urged political parties to focus on competence rather than financial influence, stressing that the 2027 election offers a chance to correct past political imbalances.
Similarly, Odeyemi attributed the ongoing PDP crisis to Atiku’s 2023 candidacy and his rumored interest in running again. He argued that Atiku’s decision to contest disrupted the expected power shift to the South after former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
“If Atiku had stayed out of the race in 2023, the PDP wouldn’t be facing its current internal crisis. His candidacy derailed the expected power rotation,” Odeyemi asserted.
He urged Atiku to reconsider his ambition, suggesting that stepping aside would help restore unity within the PDP.