Reactions continue to trail the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, with former Vice President and current Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, and Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo criticising the NDC’s decision.
The NDC had announced during its national convention that its presidential candidate for the 2027 election would come from Southern Nigeria and serve only one term.
Reacting to the development, Atiku’s camp warned that presenting a southern opposition candidate against President Bola Tinubu, who is also from the South, could hand the ruling All Progressives Congress an advantage in the next election.
“At no point in Nigeria’s history has a southern opposition candidate defeated a southern incumbent president,” Atiku’s media team said in a statement.
The statement added, “If the opposition repeats the mistake of dividing votes along regional lines, President Tinubu will coast to victory.”
Keyamo also attacked the NDC’s proposal, describing the one-term southern arrangement as deceptive and politically unrealistic.
“The decision of NDC to zone its presidential ticket to the South for just one term is an audacious attempt to hoodwink Nigerians,” Keyamo said.
He compared the proposal to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2011 pledge to serve only one full term, arguing that such promises often create political distrust.
The debate comes amid growing uncertainty within the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections. Last week, Reuters reported that Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso pulled out of the ADC-led alliance over internal disagreements and leadership disputes, weakening efforts to build a united front against Tinubu.
Political analysts say the disagreement over zoning, coalition structure and candidate selection may shape the opposition’s strategy in the months ahead as political activities gather momentum before 2027.
