Former presidential adviser to Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, has explained why the presidency is unlikely to return to the northern region in 2027.
Speaking during an interview with Arise News on Monday, Okupe cited historical precedents and emphasized the importance of maintaining the unwritten agreement of power rotation between the North and South.
Okupe recalled how, during Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency, there was a consensus to elect a southwestern leader to address regional grievances stemming from the annulled election and subsequent death of MKO Abiola.
“Those who previously controlled Nigeria’s political affairs prioritized national interests over sectional interests,” he stated. “Our inability to develop a unified national elite system remains one of the key reasons for Nigeria’s stagnation, as we continue to pull in different directions.”
Okupe argued that power rotation is vital to maintaining balance in the country’s political structure, stating:
“For 2027, we politicians — and I say this authoritatively, without fear of contradiction — power cannot return to the North. That’s not how it works. We rotate between the North and the South: the North serves for eight years, followed by the South for eight years.”
While Okupe acknowledged that this does not necessarily guarantee Bola Tinubu’s reelection in 2027, he insisted that the presidency would remain in the South during that cycle.
“It’s not about whether Bola Tinubu must remain president in 2027, but it will not be a northerner,” Okupe concluded.
