Give everybody a chance - Sowore faults rotational presidency
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Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has rejected the idea of rotational presidency in Nigeria, saying it counterproductive to national development.
Speaking on Tuesday during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, Sowore argued that Nigeria needs leaders chosen for their competence and vision, not for their region of origin.
“If I have a good president in Nigeria, who can run this country very well, I don’t care where he comes from,” he said.
Sowore, who contested in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections, maintained that rotational presidency undermines merit and democratic values.
“That is what the majority of the Nigerian people are aspiring for. That is the idea of this federation — that all the federating units should be able to have an opportunity,” he said.
He criticized the practice of zoning, which involves rotating the presidency between the North and South or among geopolitical zones, describing it as a distraction from the qualities Nigerians should be demanding in their leaders.
“When you zone it to the North, the majority of the Northerners would want to take a shot at it. When you zone it back to the South, the South of Nigeria is not Yoruba or Igbo alone. It is just senseless,” he added.
The activist called for an open political process where all candidates, regardless of region, are judged based on their plans, integrity, and leadership qualities.
“Zoning the presidency to the worst character in the country is not going to make you get anywhere,” Sowore warned.
“Give everybody a chance. That is why they said, ‘Come and contest for president, governor, local government chairman, and present your agenda, speak to us, and we will look at your character, exposure, and vote for you.”
His remarks come amid renewed debate over power rotation, with some political stakeholders insisting that the presidency should remain in the South beyond 2027.
President Bola Tinubu, a Southerner from Lagos State, assumed office in 2023 after former President Muhammadu Buhari, a Northerner, completed two terms.
However, leading opposition figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a Northerner from Adamawa State, have begun positioning themselves for another presidential run in 2027.
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