Dr. Doyin Okupe, a former spokesperson and ex-Director-General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation, has argued that the South, not the North, should produce the next president in 2027.
Okupe made the statement in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos, asserting that fairness demands that the South complete its eight-year term, similar to the North before the emergence of President Bola Tinubu.
Although he acknowledged that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 PDP presidential candidate, is highly qualified to run in 2027, Okupe said that geopolitical factors would make it inappropriate for him to succeed Tinubu.
“Atiku failed in 2023 not because he was unqualified, but because many believed a northern Muslim should not succeed another northern Muslim after eight years,” Okupe explained.
“If Atiku contests in 2027, he has the right to do so, and he is one of the best we have, but geopolitics is a factor,” Okupe added.
He emphasized that after eight years of a northern presidency, it is only fair for a southerner to take over for the next four years, even though this is not stipulated in the constitution.
“The North cannot now terminate the tenure of the South in 2027. It is not going to work,” he said.
Okupe also acknowledged that Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, could run for president in 2027, given that he is from the South.
However, he expressed skepticism that Obi could unseat Tinubu, given the current president’s progress in office.
“Obi can contest. He is dynamic and ambitious, but geopolitics matters in a country that has not achieved full unity. Tinubu, a southerner, is doing well. It’s going to be an uphill task for Obi,” Okupe stated.
When asked about potential alliances in the 2027 election aimed at unseating Tinubu, Okupe expressed doubts about their success, citing past failures of political coalitions.
“I have been in this game for over 40 years, and I’ve seen many alliances crumble because we lack the maturity to make necessary concessions,” Okupe explained.
He added that even in private business, most partnerships fail within the first three years, and political alliances are no different.
Reflecting on the alliance that helped elect former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, Okupe highlighted Tinubu’s crucial role in its success. “Tinubu made significant concessions to make the alliance work.
He had grown beyond selfishness and naivety,” Okupe said.
He doubted that opposition leaders such as Atiku, Obi, and Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso would be able to show similar maturity in 2027.
Commenting on President Tinubu’s leadership, Okupe praised the president’s clarity of purpose and direction.
“Nigeria is fortunate that Tinubu won the 2023 election. He has a clear vision and the determination to move the country forward,” he said.
Drawing a comparison to Singapore’s transformation under Lee Kuan Yew, Okupe emphasized the importance of progress over politics.
“It took Lee Kuan Yew 31 years to build Singapore into a first-world country. We must choose whether we want to move Nigeria forward or continue playing politics at the expense of our children’s future,” Okupe concluded.
