Nigeria’s Presidency has firmly reiterated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to complete a full two-term tenure, reinforcing the country’s long-standing, though informal, power rotation principle.
The position was conveyed by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, in response to recent comments by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who questioned the equity of the North-South power-sharing arrangement.
Atiku had argued that, since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999, the South has held presidential power for a longer cumulative period than the North—raising concerns about fairness within the unwritten zoning framework.
He further signalled that the 2027 presidential election could represent his final attempt at the nation’s highest office.
However, the Presidency dismissed the argument as selective and politically convenient.
Onanuga noted that the same zoning understanding was overlooked during the 2023 elections, when Atiku contested despite a prevailing expectation that power should return to the South following the completion of President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure.
Providing historical context, the Presidency attributed the perceived imbalance in regional leadership years to the untimely death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010, which constitutionally elevated then Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to the presidency.
This development, it argued, was an unforeseen constitutional outcome rather than a deliberate distortion of the zoning principle.
Reaffirming its position, the Presidency stressed that the rotational understanding remains vital for national cohesion and political stability. It maintained that just as Buhari was allowed to complete two full terms, President Tinubu should be accorded the same opportunity, in line with established political convention.
As Nigeria gradually approaches the next electoral cycle, the Presidency cautioned that attempts to reopen or undermine the zoning framework could heighten political tension and unsettle an already delicate national balance.
THE NATIONAL PATRIOTS
“The National Patriots affirm that Nigeria’s fragile unity rests on mutual respect, trust, and adherence to established political understandings such as zoning. Selective reinterpretation of history for personal ambition risks deepening division and undermining stability. The completion of a lawful tenure is not merely a political expectation but a moral commitment to fairness and continuity. Nigerians must resist narratives that inflame regional sentiment and instead uphold patriotism, equity, and national cohesion as the country approaches another critical electoral cycle.”
Princess G. Adebajo-Fraser MFR.
Headlinenews.news Special Report
