2027: Atiku’s Victory Will End Rotational Presidency — Shehu Sani

Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has said an Atiku Abubakar victory in the 2027 presidential election would mark the end of Nigeria’s informal rotational presidency arrangement.

Sani made the statement on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, while reiterating his position that political parties should allow the South to complete an eight-year presidential tenure before power returns to the North.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has the constitutional right to contest the election, Sani acknowledged, stressing that his position was based on political considerations rather than a constitutional restriction.

“I never said Atiku should not run. Constitutionally, he has the right to run for any election,” Sani said.

He argued that the South should be allowed to complete what he described as its eight-year tenure, similar to the period he attributed to the North between 2015 and 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sani said political parties should field southern candidates for the 2027 election and allow them to compete for the presidency.

He specifically mentioned Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Seyi Makinde of the African Peoples Movement as possible southern contenders.

According to him, allowing a southern president to serve eight years would create an opportunity for power to return to the North in 2031 without the same level of opposition from the South.

Sani maintained that rotational presidency is not provided for in Nigeria’s Constitution but argued that political actors should consider the principle in the interest of fairness, equity and national unity.

He also rejected the argument that a region’s larger population or electorate should translate into prolonged control of political power.

Asked about the consequences of an Atiku victory, Sani said it would effectively bring the informal rotation arrangement to an end and could create resentment in the South.

He, however, maintained that Atiku remains constitutionally free to contest the 2027 election and said his comments should not be interpreted as a call to prevent the former vice president from participating.

The 2027 presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027.