₦airaland Forum

Former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, has warned that the principle of rotational presidency in Nigeria would be undermined if the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, wins the 2027 election.

Sani stated this in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, while advocating that political parties should field candidates from the southern part of the country in the 2027 presidential election.

“If Atiku wins, it means that is the end of rotational presidency in Nigeria, and there is going to be hard and bitter feelings from the southern part of Nigeria. I don’t think anyone will like to preside over a country full of hate, animosity, and conflict. Right now, the political system is managing a lot of crises,” he said.

“I don’t think a northerner taking over power here will come in with ease and conveniently to the people in the southern part of Nigeria. But if we allow the South to have their eight years, by 2031, a northerner takes over, there will be no challenge from southern Nigeria. That is my own view.”

Sani, however, acknowledged that the Nigerian Constitution does not bar Atiku or any other northerner from contesting the presidency.

“I never said Atiku should not run. Constitutionally, he has a right to run for any election, but what I said was that a southern part of Nigeria should be allowed to have its eight-year tenure in office, just like the way the North has from 2015 to 2023,” he said.

“The NDC should field Peter Obi, the APM should field Makinde, let the South struggle it out and see who wins for four years. And when the tenure is done by 2031, the North should have its unchallengeable opportunity to produce the leadership of the country.

“You cannot say that because you have the largest electorate and population, so you should continue dominating politics,” Sani said.

Rotational presidency is an informal political arrangement, rather than a constitutional requirement, under which political parties may zone their presidential tickets between the northern and southern parts of Nigeria.

The 2027 presidential contest is expected to feature several prominent candidates, including President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).

The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled the presidential election for

January 16, 2027.



https://www.channelstv.com/2026/09/25/2027-election-rotational-presidency-will-end-if-atiku-wins-shehu-sani/

Thank God he won’t be winning!

Rotational presidency doesn’t favor 99% of the population.

If only favors politicians, their families and friends.

Rotational presidency should end in Nigeria, it doesn't make sense if it will rotating between south west and North west.

Atiku will not win....I don't want Atiku, he's such a corrupt official abeg..... power must remain in d south.....but Tinubu no try at all....see how late Buhari carried all northerners together.....Tinubu no go ever learn...

Competency over rotational presidency. Then Atiku Abubarkar should stepdown to support Peter Obi

tonesky:
Rotational presidency should end in Nigeria, it doesn't make sense if it will rotating between south west and North west.

People like you are naive and have such a poor grasp of the big picture. You have this simple view it is about the best individuals alone.

The North and South are effectively two very different and adversarial regions with two dedicatedly different ways of life, like the USA and Iran, forced to co-exist.

Remove rotational Presidency and likely it will be the North producing the President of Nigeria, courtesy of population, and shaping our nation in their backwards image and mentality because Northern leaders, somewhat, must still lead how Northerners wish to live.

They cannot be ultra-progressive, super pro-education, secular, capitalist etc as Southerners are predisposed to. Does the South, for example have religious police anywhere?

Not an issue up for discussion because we see the Almajiri system, banditry, terrorism and how people of the North have the worst human development index in the world.

Do you see their leaders making efforts to change that? How long is the redundant Almajiri system going to endure for?


The problems of the North, other regions do not have, are direct consequences of the belief system of their leaders and what they are comfortable living with that we in the South are not.

The way of life of the North will travel south if, for example, Northerners lead Nigeria for 16 to 24 unbroken years.

Do you you people want that to be the sealed fate of the South or do you want want rotation whereby we in the South, far more progressive than the North, can move Nigeria forward in our own allocated 8 year slot allows us have?

Rotation must be retained till, ideally, regional autonomy is delivered. Northern leaders are the least progressive in the world and we see this from what they have made of their own people. That's the ugly truth and I would not want to live in a Nigeria the North alone produces our President always.

Fairly obvious we'd never have State Police, tax reforms, floating of Naira etc under continuous and unbroken Northern rule.

Truth said by a Northerner. Atiku is a greedy buffoon.

Racoon:
Competency over rotational presidency. Then Atiku Abubarkar should stepdown to support Peter Obi

In what way is Obi more competent than Atiku? What was Obi’s contribution to the deregulation and privatisation policies that laid the foundations of PDP’s 16 years of prosperity, cheap petrol, less debt, peace and security?

Is Obi not on the same platform with Tinubu for expensive petrol and stagflation from subsidy removal?

Moreover, when did Obi become more competent than Atiku, since the wannabe Anambra godfather acknowledged Atiku’s preeminence in 2019, five years after his former Fidelity Bank protégé pushed him out of their regional party, APGA?

anonimi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZVNFlau1g0?si=IG6J6ACkD5JMNC6t



The Vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Peter Obi has advised Nigerians not to allow few politicians determine the future of the country but see themselves as stakeholders by being actively involved in the forthcoming general election.

Mr. Peter Obi stated this while addressing members of the Igbo Community in Benin on why Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should be elected as president.

Wealthyonos:
Truth said by a Northerner. Atiku is a greedy buffoon.

Who is your favourite politician that is not a greedy buffoon

saintkel:
Atiku will not win....I don't want Atiku, he's such a corrupt official abeg..... power must remain in d south.....but Tinubu no try at all....see how late Buhari carried all northerners together.....Tinubu no go ever learn...

So because Buhari carried all the Northerners together, Tinubu should carry all Southerners together including all the sworn enemies that hurl derogatory words at us daily and have coveted our ancestral land since 1966?

How many times have you seen the Northerners celebrating any tragedy that befell Nigeria?

How many times have you seen the Northerners demarketing Nigeria home and abroad ?

How many times have you seen the Northerners calling on the Military to orchestrate a Coup D’etat because their fellow Northerners lost an Election?

gammarays:
They're just after their vested interest

Who remembered rotational presidency when they ganged to remove Jonathan to bring in Buhari?

You dey mind him. The Man from the very region that feeds Nigeria was removed. I mean it is what we have from his region that is still keeping Nigeria as one yet he was removed.and ganged up against even when his administration was 1Billion times better than the calamities that came after

If we want to do rotational,it has to be the most competent from our region and not empty and shallow leaders like Buhari and Tinubu.

Tinubu will be voted out next year and the heavens wont fall

Period!

P.S What do you expect the transittor senator to say before sef. Man is contesting for the senate in Kaduna after he was first dealt with by El-rufai so he is also covering his pot of soup

Racoon:
Competency over rotational presidency. Then Atiku Abubarkar should stepdown to support Peter Obi

Pay no mind to the hypocrite. Shehu Sani supported Atiku in 2023 immediately after 8 years of Buhari. He delivered his polling unit to Atiku.

gammarays:
They're just after their vested interest

Who remembered rotational presidency when they ganged to remove Jonathan to bring in Buhari?

The Guinean Jagaban of Borgu certainly did not remember that, when he begged his fellow northerner Buhari to come out of retirement in 2015 to make Jonathan a one term president.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5Tta19OYEE?si=HknaDB2bw8FaAD3r



This was four years after he called the old soldier expired o, and after their demonic A-looter Propaganda Conmen, APC party invited terrorists from Guinea and other countries to destroy our country.

anonimi:
What group of politicians is more wicked than A-looter Propaganda Conmen, APC


https://x.com/BusinessDayNg/status/1554497253158658049


How we brought In Fulani militias from Mali, Sierra Leone, Senegal, others to win 2015 election — Kawu Baraje - mailchi.mp/businessday.ng…

Aug 2, 2022

WizardOfNG:
People like you are naive and have such a poor grasp of the big picture. You have this simple view it is about the best individuals alone.

The North and South are effectively two very different and adversarial regions with two dedicatedly different ways of life, like the USA and Iran, forced to co-exist.

Remove rotational Presidency and likely it will be the North producing the President of Nigeria, courtesy of population, and shaping our nation in their backwards image and mentality because Northern leaders, somewhat, must still lead how Northerners wish to live.

They cannot be ultra-progressive, super pro-education, secular, capitalist etc as Southerners are predisposed to. Does the South, for example have religious police anywhere?

Not an issue up for discussion because we see the Almajiri system, banditry, terrorism and how people of the North have the worst human development index in the world.

Do you see their leaders making efforts to change that? How long is the redundant Almajiri system going to endure for?


The problems of the North, other regions do not have, are direct consequences of the belief system of their leaders and what they are comfortable living with that we in the South are not.

The way of life of the North will travel south if, for example, Northerners lead Nigeria for 16 to 24 unbroken years.

Do you you people want that to be the sealed fate of the South or do you want want rotation whereby we in the South, far more progressive than the North, can move Nigeria forward in our own allocated 8 year slot allows us have?

Rotation must be retained till, ideally, regional autonomy is delivered. Northern leaders are the least progressive in the world and we see this from what they have made of their own people. That's the ugly truth and I would not want to live in a Nigeria the North alone produces our President always.

Fairly obvious we'd never have State Police, tax reforms, floating of Naira etc under continuous and unbroken Northern rule.

So why did Tinubu gang up with the North to remove his Southern brother, Jonathan, from power?

Saturnalia:
So because Buhari carried all the Northerners together, Tinubu should carry all Southerners together including all the sworn enemies that hurl derogatory words at us daily and have coveted our ancestral land since 1966?

How many times have you seen the Northerners celebrating any tragedy that befell Nigeria?

How many times have you seen the Northerners demarketing Nigeria home and abroad ?

How many times have you seen the Northerners calling on the Military to orchestrate a Coup D’etat because their fellow Northerners lost an Election?

I have never seen such a biased reply as dis ur own.....u talked about d coup.....who wanted/planned coup against Tinubu then?.....who?....I remember when d elections for 2015bwas conducted, Buhari didn't win all northern states back then but carried them all when he became president.....ur Tinubu saw he didn't have d trust of some southern states, what did he say when he became president?....u go always de compare north with south yet tribalism won't let u see d difference....keep supporting ur Tinubu ...after all, didn't he say d west n fulanis r one?

gammarays:
They're just after their vested interest

Who remembered rotational presidency when they ganged to remove Jonathan to bring in Buhari?

You guys and intellectual dishonesty. You make this illogical claim always about gang-up removal of GEJ. Did Jonathan not have a responsibility to Nigeria and the rotational system keeping our fragile peace?

Jonathan was a beneficiary of the death of Yar Adua that made him inherit the turn of the North. 💯% factual reality no Nigerian can deny.!!!

He had already spent 5 substantive years as President and insensitively wanted another 4 post 2015 (to make an unconstitutional 9 years as President) yet you guys continue to portray him a victim.

Do you not see Obi pledging to do only 4 years in office? Why? Because he is showing respect for power rotation Jonathan neglected.

if you think Jonathan did no wrong wishing to spend 9 years in power he inherited via the death of a Northerner, if the North fight back violently then who loses if not all of us? The likes of Tinubu should sit and watch GEJ plunge us into what could be violent crisis because of his own selfish and dishonorable ambition?

Atiku is doing same as GEJ and many Northerners are against him because they know we go into uncharted territory, especially against the politically powerful Yorubas, if rotation is truncated. If such happens, Yorubas no longer have any reason to believe in or work for Nigeria's progress. We simply face our SW and DAWN regional integration agenda fully.

The reality is that GEJ, though good at heart, showed selfishness by not being willing to sacrifice for the greater good and just give thanks for the providence God placed in his laps for 5 years in Aso Rock he never sought as Atiku, Buhari, Tinubu spent decades chasing.

It is the likes of Tinubu who planned meticulously locally, in Lagos, and nationally that saved our nation and democracy you portray a villain.

Whereas Jonathan who never planned to be President and would have been happy retiring as VP to Diepreye Alamieyeseigha became Governor due to the impeachment of his boss and then became VP to Yar Adua because OBJ wanted an unambitious and docile VP to Yar Adua.

OBJ wanted to control Yar Adua by proxy and did not want an over-ambitious VP for him as he had to deal with working with Atiku.

I just can't understand how some of you are so emotional. People like Tinubu are the real heroes behind our democracy because they are talented, brilliant, prepared and purposeful leaders.

You guys slept safely in your bed after 2015 election GEJ lost not knowing North had imported Fulanis from across Africa to start a bloodbath if GEJ would not hand over since the born-to-rule elements in the region were already fed up he had used 5 years of the slot of the North and wanted another 4.

It is bigotry preventing you recognising the importance of Tinubu and the moderate/progressive /sophisticated Yorubas and our crucial importance to Nigeria.

Had Tinubu not intervened, North was ready to change it violently for GEJ since they are addicted to power and feel five years of their slot GEJ enjoyed is enough for anyone honourable.

The SE too would have been up in arms if GEJ won in 2015 and the North were insisting he must leave because they considered the Jonathan Presidency an Igbo Presidency. Predictable violent confrontation.

I laugh at how prejudice prevents you guys appreciating Tinubu and Yorubas. If we leave, gain our own nation, commonsense and peace will no longer be sustained in Nigeria.

Rwanda-style genocide will follow. A case of you don't know the value of what you have (Tinubu and Yorubas) till it is gone. Jonathan is a decent man but he is not a brilliantly effective leader.

Brilliantly effective leaders do things, sometimes ugly, ordinary folks would not understand that allows us all sleep well at night to see another day.

Jonathan had to go when he did. Perhaps your understanding of Nigerian politics is not at the level to allow you note that.

AMINDA:
So why did Tinubu gang up with the North to remove his Southern brother, Jonathan, from power?

Ironically, I provided answer for this same question, minutes ago, to a poster who presented same question you did.

You guys need to stop being naive, emotional and sentimental about Nigerian politics. You ask this "gang-up against GEJ" question all the time, for years now, and you seem incapable of understanding GEJ was being unreasonable.

Aminda, tell me why Peter Obi is promising to do four years only while GEJ unreasonably wanted 9 if reasonable Southerners had not joined the plot, bigger than all of us, of preserving the fragile peace of a very ethno-religiously divided nation, with adversarial ethnic group and a core North that does not even like to be without power for a day, through the removal of GEJ?

https://www.nairaland.com/wizardofng/posts

WizardOfNG:
You guys and intellectual dishonesty. You make this illogical claim always about gang-up removal of GEJ. Did Jonathan not have a responsibility to Nigeria and the rotational system keeping our fragile peace?

Jonathan was a beneficiary of the death of Yar Adua that made him inherit the turn of the North. 💯% factual reality no Nigerian can deny.!!!

He had already spent 5 substantive years as President and insensitively wanted another 4 post 2015 (to make an unconstitutional 9 years as President) yet you guys continue to portray him a victim.

Do you not see Obi pledging to do only 4 years in office? Why? Because he is showing respect for power rotation Jonathan neglected.

if you think Jonathan did no wrong wishing to spend 9 years in power he inherited via the death of a Northerner, if the North fight back violently then who loses if not all of us? The likes of Tinubu should sit and watch GEJ plunge us into what could be violent crisis because of his own selfish and dishonorable ambition?

Atiku is doing same as GEJ and many Northerners are against him because they know we go into uncharted territory, especially against the politically powerful Yorubas, if rotation is truncated. If such happens, Yorubas no longer have any reason to believe in or work for Nigeria's progress. We simply face our SW and DAWN regional integration agenda fully.

The reality is that GEJ, though good at heart, showed selfishness by not being willing to sacrifice for the greater good and just give thanks for the providence God placed in his laps for 5 years in Aso Rock he never sought as Atiku, Buhari, Tinubu spent decades chasing.

It is the likes of Tinubu who planned meticulously locally, in Lagos, and nationally that saved our nation and democracy you portray a villain.

Whereas Jonathan who never planned to be President and would have been happy retiring as VP to Diepreye Alamieyeseigha became Governor due to the impeachment of his boss and then became VP to Yar Adua because OBJ wanted an unambitious and docile VP to Yar Adua.

OBJ wanted to control Yar Adua by proxy and did not want an over-ambitious VP for him as he had to deal with working with Atiku.

I just can't understand how some of you are so emotional. People like Tinubu are the real heroes behind our democracy because they are talented, brilliant, prepared and purposeful leaders.

You guys slept safely in your bed after 2015 election GEJ lost not knowing North had imported Fulanis from across Africa to start a bloodbath if GEJ would not hand over since the born-to-rule elements in the region were already fed up he had used 5 years of the slot of the North and wanted another 4.

It is bigotry preventing you recognising the importance of Tinubu and the moderate/progressive /sophisticated Yorubas and our crucial importance to Nigeria.

Had Tinubu not intervened, North was ready to change it violently for GEJ since they are addicted to power and feel five years of their slot GEJ enjoyed is enough for anyone honourable.

The SE too would have been up in arms if GEJ won in 2015 and the North were insisting he must leave because they considered the Jonathan Presidency an Igbo Presidency. Predictable violent confrontation.

I laugh at how prejudice prevents you guys appreciating Tinubu and Yorubas. If we leave, gain our own nation, commonsense and peace will no longer be sustained in Nigeria.

Rwanda-style genocide will follow. A case of you don't know the value of what you have (Tinubu and Yorubas) till it is gone. Jonathan is a decent man but he is not a brilliantly effective leader.

Brilliantly effective leaders do things, sometimes ugly, ordinary folks would not understand that allows us all sleep well at night to see another day.

Jonathan had to go when he did. Perhaps your understanding of Nigerian politics is not at the level to allow you note that.

WizardOfNG:
Ironically, I provided answer for this same question, minutes ago, to a poster who presented same question you did.

You guys need to stop being naive, emotional and sentimental about Nigerian politics. You ask this "gang-up against GEJ" question all the time, for years now, and you seem incapable of understanding GEJ was being unreasonable.

Aminda, tell me why Peter Obi is promising to do four years only while GEJ unreasonably wanted 9 if reasonable Southerners had not joined the plot, bigger than all of us, of preserving the fragile peace of a very ethno-religiously divided nation, with adversarial ethnic group and a core North that does not even like to be without power for a day, through the removal of GEJ?

https://www.nairaland.com/wizardofng/posts

If power should rotate between North and South,it should be zoned to South East for equality and Atiku wouldn't have contested,if not everybody is allowed to contest,SW is not the only region in the south to keep representing the South

There is no rotation in the Constitution

What's rotational presidency?
🤥

If it is not democracy, it can't be democracy

anonimi:
The Guinean Jagaban of Borgu certainly did not remember that, when he begged his fellow northerner Buhari to come out of retirement in 2015 to make Jonathan a one term president.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5Tta19OYEE?si=HknaDB2bw8FaAD3r



This was four years after he called the old soldier expired o, and after their demonic A-looter Propaganda Conmen, APC party invited terrorists from Guinea and other countries to destroy our country.

The ugly fellow just dey embarrass Nigerians now. He has forgotten all his tweets, protests. Na France dey hungry am. A man who cant even make a good sentence without committing blunders, he cant even give reasonable responses to questions asked.

HIGHESTPOPORI:
If power should rotate between North and South,it should be zoned to South East for equality and Atiku wouldn't have contested,if not everybody is allowed to contest,SW is not the only region in the south to keep representing the South

You guys will never get the central and most important point. Yorubas build bridges and alliance where and when it matters whereas you lot are always operating with toxicity and a sense of entitlement.

When power rotates between North and South, it is for players in the region power has settled on to bridge bridges, forge alliances and negotiate internally over who get's what.

You guys are never willing to do that and always act as if Yorubas are your enemies , you must always fight, and we somewhere owe you a pound of flesh.

We don't owe you nada and will see how we will help SS, maybe Wike, become President when it will be the turn of the South again in 2039.

A Northern president is better than an incompetent president who seeks deeper poverty for his fellow country men.

Let it end , how has it helped , so because of Rotational president we should die under the demonic empathless Tinubu? God forbid Tinubu must leave

Qadaffi2idiamin:
A Northern president is better than an incompetent president who seeks deeper poverty for his fellow country men.

A wicked heartless looter

Wealthyonos:
Truth said by a Northerner. Atiku is a greedy buffoon.

If Atiku is greedy what is Tinubu ...Tinubu is a terrible human being..God forbid ..I a sure that man was a fuel attendant in Mobil

Jonathan ended rotational presidency when he contested the 2011 presidential election. Jonathan was to step aside and allow a northerner continued Yar'adua's tenure but no.

Again, Tinubu and his gang ended rotational presidency when they convinced a retired politician - Buhari - to come challenge Jonathan in 2015. Jonathan should have been allowed to finish his 8yrs but the greed of Tinubu won't allow it. Tinubu saw Jonathan finishing his 8yrs and power returning back to the north before returning back to the south too long a time for him to wait.

By and large, the south in the persons of Jonathan and Tinubu scattered rotational presidency in Nigeria.

Shehu Sani is saying this because he knows that El Rufai is in Atiku's camp. Shehu Sani and El Rufai cannot cohabit from today's standpoint.

Absolutely! Atiku’s a strong contender for the 2027 election, and his rotational approach is clearly benefiting them. AcadaWriter

Chachalogo:
Jonathan ended rotational presidency when he contested the 2011 presidential election. Jonathan was to step aside and allow a northerner continued Yar'adua's tenure but no.

Again, Tinubu and his gang ended rotational presidency when they convinced a retired politician - Buhari - to come challenge Jonathan in 2015. Jonathan should have been allowed to finish his 8yrs but the greed of Tinubu won't allow it. Tinubu saw Jonathan finishing his 8yrs and power returning back to the north before returning back to the south too long a time for him to wait.

By and large, the south in the persons of Jonathan and Tinubu scattered rotational presidency in Nigeria.

Shehu Sani is saying this because he knows that El Rufai is in Atiku's camp. Shehu Sani and El Rufai cannot cohabit from today's standpoint.

I dont understand how some of you reason. I can only ascribe it to primordial hatred of certain political leaders.

Tinubu actually helped restore rotational Presidency against a clearly unreasonable Jonathan who wanted 9 years in power. More than the constitutional maximum 8 years allowed any President.

It was okay for GEJ to do one term of 4 years after spending a year as substantive President when Yar Adua died because Nigeria had never being in that position before and it would have been ridiculous in the eyes of the world to prevent him retaining power beyond 2011 merely because of a rotation agreement.

Exceptions must obtain for extraordinary circumstances such as death of a sitting President.

What GEJ should have done was step aside in 2015, after 5 years as President, rather than being forced out.

We all know the North well to understand even the 5 years they granted GEJ was not willingly. They had no choice.Tinubu was a hero you just dont see it because you guys hate primordially.

You should make your claim Tinubu ended rotational Presidency make sense because I actually believe, factually, he restored it by helping Buhari become President.

I keep asking all of you why Obi is pledging to do one term alone, if you believe what GEJ attempted was just and honorable, yet non of of are responding.

Is it not because Obi knows the South has had one term already through Tinubu and any insistence he would do two terms would appeal to no one at all in the North, NC and SW?