I will make rotational presidency a constitutional provision if elected President in 2027–Atiku

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has promised to pursue a constitutional amendment to enshrine a rotational presidency if elected president of Nigeria in 2027.

Speaking during an appearance on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, Atiku said he is a supporter of the principle of zoning, stating that a constitutional arrangement would provide a more equitable and stable framework for rotation of power.

“If I am president, even if it is the only amendment I can make, I would move towards that,” Atiku said.

He pointed out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the only political party with zoning arrangement enshrined in its constitution.

“The only political party that has zoning in its constitution is the PDP. The rest do not have it. If anything, all the other political parties are borrowing or learning from the PDP,” he said.

Atiku also shed some light on the distribution of presidential power between the north and the south, stating that the south has held the office longer.

“The south has governed for 18 years and the north for 10, so who is in the deficit?” he questioned.

Ironically, Atiku, also recalled kicking against a proposal for rotational presidency by the late former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme during past constitutional debates.

“There was an argument between the late Alex Ekwueme and myself. He proposed a provision in the constitution for rotational presidency, and I opposed it,” Abubakar recalled.

“Because we controlled about 60 to 70 percent of the delegates, the amendment did not go through.”

Atiku said he later regretted the decision, given the events that played out afterwards.