Shehu Sani warns Atiku 2027 win could end Nigeria’s rotation
Shehu Sani, former Kaduna Central senator, said on Channels Television’s Politics Today that an Atiku Abubakar victory in the 2027 presidential election would end Nigeria’s informal rotational presidency and could spark hard feelings in the south. He urged parties to field southern candidates in 2027 so the North can have its turn in 2031, arguing that allowing the South an eight-year term would make a northern comeback in 2031 easier and fairer. Sani noted that while the constitution does not bar Atiku from running, the South should be allowed its eight‑year tenure, just as the North held power from 2015 to 2023. He mentioned southern aspirants Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement as options for the South to contest. INEC has listed Obi, Makinde, Atiku and President Bola Tinubu among the candidates for the 16 January 2027 election. Sani rejected the idea that population size should dictate which region holds the presidency, stressing that rotation remains an important informal arrangement for national stability. His comments come as major politicians position themselves ahead of the 2027 poll.