Okechukwu Warns Against Ethnic Tension Ahead of 2027 Elections

Former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) and APC founder, Osita Okechukwu, has said that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s disregard for zoning is causing political tensions in the North and across Nigeria. He believes this situation is proving the need for Nigeria's power-rotation and zoning agreement.

Okechukwu made these comments in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. He urged northerners to steer clear of the risks that come with ethnic politics driven by one man and his associates. He pointed out that countries like Sudan still suffer from ethnic conflict.

"The South has other presidential candidates, and truly Atiku and Tinubu are ten and ten pence based on their past actions," he said.

He also expressed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not recovered from Atiku’s breach of zoning during the 2023 presidential election. He argued that the 2027 elections would have been less heated if the African Democratic Congress (ADC) had followed the principle of presidential power rotation and chosen a candidate from the South.

Call for Unity

Okechukwu reminded Nigerians of certain notable politicians such as Abubakar Rimi, Umaru Shinkafi, Adamu Ciroma, Olusola Saraki, Alex Ekwueme, and Ogbonnaya Onu. He described them as patriots who saved the country in 1999 by putting national unity above their own presidential ambitions.

"Zoning advocates have always said that presidential power rotation is key to managing Nigeria’s diversity," he stated.

He explained that the current political tension shows why zoning should not be seen as something to discard just to support one person’s presidential ambition. He added that this is especially true when that person lacks a real solution to our economic issues.

Okechukwu highlighted the peaceful nature of the presidential elections in 1999, 2007, and 2019. He mentioned Olusegun Obasanjo vs Olu Falae, Muhammadu Buhari vs Umaru Yar’Adua, and Muhammadu Buhari vs Atiku Abubakar as examples of how the rotation convention has helped maintain national balance.

He raised concerns about reports of security personnel being assigned to protect campaign posters and billboards for presidential candidates. He called this a troubling situation.

Okechukwu pointed out the high cost of using security officials for political duties when there are many cases of kidnapping, armed robbery, the farmer-herder crisis, and other forms of violence that need attention.

In closing, he urged Atiku’s supporters and other political actors to avoid framing the 2027 presidential contest as a conflict between the North and South. He warned that such talk could worsen ethnic divisions and might harm our young democracy.