Datti Baba-Ahmed has hinted that ADC Presidential ticket may be zoned to South and raised concerns over Atiku’s ambition.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has suggested that the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) might be zoned to the South ahead of the 2027 elections.
This comes after a coalition of opposition parties officially adopted the ADC on Thursday as their platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next polls.
Speaking on Prime Time, an Arise TV programme, Baba-Ahmed raised concerns about what would become of the presidential aspirations of former LP presidential candidate Peter Obi and ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, if former Vice President Atiku Abubakar enters the race despite the zoning principle that favors the South.
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He referenced the country’s informal zoning arrangement, which rotates the presidency between the North and South every eight years. “Let us return to the unwritten understanding in Nigerian politics—rotation,” Baba-Ahmed said. “The North does eight years, and the South does eight years. I was part of the campaign in 2022-23, and I spoke about this consistently.”
Citing historical examples, he noted that in the 2019 elections, no Southerner purchased the presidential nomination form in either of the two main parties, signaling a mutual understanding. “In 2022-23, Peter Obi emerged from the South, Amaechi ran and came second to Tinubu also a Southerner in the APC. So, there were three strong Southern contenders.”
“By 2027, the default expectation is that the presidency should remain in the South. If Atiku enters the race again, what happens to Peter Obi and Amaechi?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Amaechi, speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, echoed similar sentiments. He emphasized the need to uphold the rotation principle, warning against any attempt to disrupt the balance of power.
“The South must complete its eight-year term. I fought the PDP in the past because they broke an agreement to rotate power. If that happens again, it will only create more instability. I will stand firmly with the South in 2027,” Amaechi stated.
Both leaders underscored the importance of respecting zoning for national unity and political stability as the 2027 presidential race begins to take shape.
