Bayo Onanuga has criticised Atiku Abubakar over his recent remarks on Nigeria’s power rotation principle, urging him to abandon any 2027 presidential ambition.
In a strongly worded statement, Onanuga accused Atiku of trying to undermine the long-standing North-South zoning arrangement ahead of the next election cycle.
He recalled that during the 2023 elections, Atiku ignored his party’s zoning structure by contesting to succeed a fellow northerner, a move he said deepened internal divisions within the party and contributed to his loss.
Reacting to Atiku’s interview on Arise TV, Onanuga described his claims about power rotation as “dubious” and self-serving.
He said: “Once again, Abubakar Atiku has put forward a self-serving argument to justify his attempt to disrupt Nigeria’s power rotation arrangement.”
Onanuga further warned that Atiku risks repeating past mistakes, adding: “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 also criticised Atiku’s position that the South has held power longer since 1999, stating: “His political arithmetic is dubious.”
According to him, the North’s shorter time in office was due to the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, which led to Goodluck Jonathan assuming power—an occurrence he described as accidental and not a breach of the zoning system.
Onanuga concluded by insisting that the current administration must complete its tenure, saying: “All Atiku needs to do is to bury the thought of running again, as it is still the South’s turn in the 2027 election.”