Dr. Doyin Okupe, former Director-General of Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, has called for a Southerner to take the presidency in 2027, urging that the North should not be allowed to retain power after President Bola Tinubu’s term ends.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, Okupe emphasized the importance of respecting the informal power rotation between Nigeria’s North and South. He argued that after eight years of northern leadership, it would be unfair for another northern candidate to succeed President Tinubu.
Instead, the South should be given the opportunity to complete a full eight-year term in the presidency.
Okupe acknowledged that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is highly qualified for the role.
However, he warned that Atiku’s candidacy would face significant challenges, particularly because of the perception that a northern Muslim should not succeed another northern Muslim after President Tinubu’s tenure.
He stressed that the geopolitics of the situation would make it difficult for Atiku to gain broad support in 2027.
The former Labour Party (LP) chieftain also discussed the possibility of Peter Obi, the 2023 LP presidential candidate, contesting again in 2027.
While he acknowledged Obi’s ambition and dynamism, Okupe noted that it would be a tough challenge for Obi to unseat Tinubu, given that both are Southerners and Tinubu is performing well in office.
On the subject of political alliances, Okupe was skeptical about the ability of opposition forces to unite and effectively challenge Tinubu in 2027.
He suggested that any attempts to form alliances against the president would ultimately fail due to a lack of political maturity and the unwillingness of key players to make necessary concessions.
Drawing on his four-decade-long political career, Okupe expressed doubt that Nigerian politicians would be able to come together in a meaningful and sustainable way to challenge Tinubu’s leadership.
