Majeed Dahiru, a public affairs analyst, says the continued presidential ambition of Atiku Abubakar is weakening opposition cohesion ahead of the 2027 election.
Speaking during an interview on Nigeria Info FM, Dahiru said Atiku’s persistent bid for power is undermining efforts to build a united opposition front.
“What Atiku is doing is stifling, destabilising and undermining the opposition in this country,” he said.
The public affairs analyst argued that Atiku, having benefited from the zoning arrangement in Nigeria’s political system, lacks the moral justification to seek the presidency again.
“Atiku has no business being in the race for the 2027 presidential election,” he said.
THE UNWRITTEN ZONING FORMULA
Dahiru said Atiku had previously defended zoning when it favoured the north, recalling his opposition to the candidacy of former president Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.
“When zoning was violated in 2011, Atiku led protests from the north. That was the beginning of the end of the PDP,” he said.
He added that Atiku also aligned with political forces in 2015 to oppose Jonathan’s re-election bid, eventually supporting Muhammadu Buhari, which he said reinforced the zoning principle.
According to Dahiru, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) later acknowledged its mistake and returned to zoning, allowing Atiku to emerge as its candidate in 2019 without opposition from southern aspirants.
“In 2019, not a single southerner contested against Atiku. He got overwhelming support, especially from the south-east,” he said.
The analyst said Atiku’s decision to contest again in 2023 contributed to internal party crises and electoral setbacks.
He added that Atiku’s continued presence in the political space is now affecting opposition alignment ahead of 2027.
Dahiru also said Atiku should not be in direct political contest with southern figures such as Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Bola Tinubu, citing past political alliances and contributions that, in his view, should warrant restraint.
He warned that unless opposition figures align, the ruling party could benefit from the divisions heading into the next election cycle.
