Former spokesperson and Director-General of Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has asserted that geopolitical considerations favour the South producing Nigeria’s president in 2027.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos, Okupe contended that it would be unfair for the North to reclaim the presidency immediately after President Bola Tinubu’s tenure.
He acknowledged that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is well-qualified to contest in 2027. However, Okupe argued that Atiku’s candidacy would likely face the same challenges as in 2023, when it was seen as disrupting the North-South power rotation agreement.
“Atiku failed in 2023 not because he was not a good person, but because people felt that a northern Muslim could not succeed another northern Muslim after eight years,” Okupe stated.
“If Atiku contests in 2027, he has the right. He is eminently qualified and one of the best we have. However, the conditionality still persists. A Southerner would have just completed four years and requires another four to complete the eight-year term.
“The North cannot terminate the South’s tenure in 2027. It’s not constitutional but agreed upon for stability. After eight years in the North, the South must have its turn,” he added.
Okupe noted that Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, could also contest as a Southerner in 2027 but said it would be difficult for Obi to unseat Tinubu.
“Obi is young, dynamic, and ambitious, but geopolitics is key in a country that has not yet achieved horizontal and vertical unity. Tinubu is also a Southerner and is performing well. It will be an uphill task for Obi to dislodge him,” Okupe said.
On whether alliances between political leaders and parties could successfully challenge Tinubu in 2027, Okupe expressed scepticism.
“I have been in politics for over 40 years. Alliances often fail because participants are unwilling to make concessions for group interests. We have not attained the maturity to make rational and reasonable compromises,” he explained.
Okupe referenced the alliance that brought former President Muhammadu Buhari to power in 2015, highlighting that Tinubu’s leadership and willingness to make concessions were pivotal to its success.
“The man who spearheaded that alliance, Tinubu, made significant concessions to ensure it worked. That level of maturity and selflessness is not present among today’s opposition leaders,” he said.
Okupe expressed doubts that opposition figures such as Atiku, Obi, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso could unite effectively against Tinubu, stating, “That kind of maturity does not exist among them.”
The debate over Nigeria’s leadership in 2027 continues to spark discussions about equity, geopolitics, and the nation’s political future.
