Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, says Atiku Abubakar’s comments on power rotation were “self-serving” and against the grain.
On Wednesday, during an appearance on AriseTV, Abubakar spoke on the distribution of presidential power between the north and south since 1999, noting that the south has held the office for longer.
The former vice-president, who also stated that the 2027 general election will be his last shot at the presidency, said “the south has governed for 18 years and the north for 10, so who is in the deficit?”
Responding via X on Thursday, Onanuga criticised Abubakar for saying that he is not bound by the zoning arrangement.
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Onanuga said Abubakar ignored the circumstances surrounding the tenure of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, whose death in 2010 led to Goodluck Jonathan’s ascent to the throne.
“Once again, Abubakar Atiku has put forward a self-serving argument to justify his attempt to disrupt Nigeria’s power rotation arrangement,” Onanuga wrote.
“In 2023, as a member of the PDP—a party that, like others, practices zoning—Atiku disregarded the established formula and sought to succeed a fellow northerner, who had spent eight years in office.
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“His ambition fractured the PDP, leading to his resounding defeat at the polls.
“Now, he stands poised to repeat history and face another doom.
“Another spectacular failure awaits this perennial candidate in the next election.
“He conveniently overlooks the fact that the North’s shorter tenure was due to the untimely death of President Umaru Yar’Adua, which led to President Jonathan’s succession.
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“This accidental breach does not invalidate the power rotation arrangement between the North and the South.
“Since Buhari completed his eight years, Tinubu too must complete his own.”
Abubakar has run for the number one office six times, appearing on the ballot as a presidential candidate on three occasions — 2007, 2019, and 2023.
