Dr. Doyin Okupe, a former Director-General of Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, has expressed doubt about former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s chances of winning the 2027 presidential election.
Timeless Update reports that Atiku contested the 2023 presidential election under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but lost to Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The 2023 loss marked Atiku’s sixth unsuccessful attempt at the presidency, following bids in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, Okupe stressed that the South should produce the next President in 2027 to maintain fairness and balance in the country’s leadership.
Okupe acknowledged Atiku’s qualifications to run again but identified geopolitical considerations, rather than age, as the main obstacle to his candidacy.
He explained that the South should complete an eight-year tenure, similar to the North’s before Tinubu’s administration.
“Atiku didn’t lose in 2023 because he wasn’t a good candidate but because people believed a northern Muslim couldn’t succeed another northern Muslim after eight years.
“If Atiku decides to run in 2027, it’s within his rights. He is qualified and among the best candidates we have. However, geopolitics remains a major factor.
“The situation persists—the South would have only completed four years by then and needs another four years to fulfill an eight-year cycle.
“It’s not constitutional but reflects an understanding: when a Northerner serves for eight years, a Southerner follows.
“For the North to cut short the South’s tenure in 2027 is unacceptable,” Okupe asserted.
He also noted that Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, could contest in 2027 as a Southerner. However, Okupe remarked that unseating Tinubu would be a tough challenge for Obi.
On the prospect of alliances against Tinubu in 2027, Okupe argued that such coalitions would likely fail due to participants’ reluctance to compromise. He cited the 2015 coalition that brought former President Buhari to power, highlighting Tinubu’s willingness to make concessions as a key factor in its success.
