The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his comments on power rotation ahead of the 2027 election.
Onanuga said President Bola Tinubu must complete two terms, insisting that the South should retain the presidency until 2031.
He wrote on X on Thursday: “Since Buhari completed his eight years, Tinubu too must complete his own.”
He added: “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.”
The presidential aide accused Atiku of pushing a self-serving position.
Onanuga said: “This Atiku will never learn.
“Once again, Abubakar Atiku has put forward a self-serving argument to justify his attempt to disrupt Nigeria’s power rotation arrangement.”
He also referenced Atiku’s role in the 2023 election.
Onanuga said: “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.”
He added: “His ambition fractured the PDP, leading to his resounding defeat at the polls.”
The remarks followed Atiku’s interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, where he addressed the zoning debate.
Atiku rejected claims of a binding national agreement on rotation.
He said: “No, I think this is an error and a mistake to say that there is an agreement on the issue of zoning in Nigeria.”
He added: “Let me tell you, the only political party that has a zoning provision in its constitution is the PDP.
“All the rest don’t have it.”
Atiku said: “So if anything, all the other political parties are borrowing or learning from PDP’s zoning formula.”
He, however, expressed support for the principle of rotation.
Atiku said: “I agree with the principle.
“In fact, I will even go further.
“Let me tell you what happened.
“In 2004 during the National Political Reforms Conference under President Obasanjo, there was an argument between the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, who proposed rotational presidency.”
On power balance since 1999, he argued that the South had held office longer.
Atiku said: “But if we are talking about the zoning formula in the PDP, the South has governed for 18 years and the North has governed for 10.
“So who is in a deficit if you want to be fair?”
He also backed a consensus approach for 2027.
Atiku said: “The most practical option is to have a consensus,” adding that he would support any candidate that emerges, including Peter Obi or others.
Responding, Onanuga described Atiku’s position as flawed.
He said: “His political arithmetic is dubious.”
Onanuga added: “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 Goodluck Jonathan’s succession.
“This accidental breach does not invalidate the power rotation arrangement between the North and the South.”
