2027: Why power should stay in South – Ex-Atiku’s spokesperson, Sowunmi

A PDP chieftain in Ogun, Segun Showunmi, has said that keeping power in the South beyond 2027 was essential to preserving the country’s political balance.

Showunmi, during a programmed tagged “Guest Forum” in Abeokuta on Monday, said this would also be to honour an unwritten understanding that has stabilised Nigeria’s democracy.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised by the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun Council.

He said that Nigeria’s history as a union of the former Northern and Southern Protectorates made it important for leaders to respect the idea of timing and rotation.

Showunmi, a former spokesperson of Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 PDP presidential candidate, noted that while he held Atiku in high regard, the political moment required a clear appreciation of the country’s power-sharing rhythm.

He explained that since the North held the presidency for eight years under Muhammadu Buhari, many Nigerians expected the South to retain the position in the current cycle.

According to him, though political disagreements in the South are inevitable, they do not change the wider expectation that the region should still produce the president at this time.

He cautioned that pushing power back to the North in 2027 could create unnecessary strain, particularly among Southern and Middle Belt groups that see rotation as a matter of fairness.

“I love Atiku, but I am afraid he’s a man who does not understand the concept of seasons and time.

“If he understands seasons and time, he would know, and he ought to know, that an amalgamated country called Southern Protectorate and Northern Protectorate must run on the pendulum system.

“When it swung to the North, Buhari did his eight years, now it has swung to the South,” he said.

Earlier, the acting Chairman of the Chapel, Peter Moses, said the “Guest Forum” was designed to create avenues for constructive public engagement with policymakers and influential voices on societal issues. 

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