Former Borno State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Ali Modu Sheriff, has urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to suspend any plans to contest the 2027 presidential election, insisting that Nigeria’s unwritten power-sharing arrangement makes it the South’s turn to retain the presidency.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Sheriff said the North would not rally behind Atiku’s ambition, arguing that the principle of rotational leadership established after the Nigerian civil war should be respected.
According to Sheriff, former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure means the North has just completed its turn and should allow the South to complete another term before seeking the presidency again.
“After the civil war, our leaders agreed that there would no longer be this situation in Nigeria. There is a regional agreement. For Atiku, it’s not our time now. He is on his own because it is the turn of the South. Buhari just finished eight years,” Sheriff said.
He acknowledged Atiku’s credentials but maintained that the former vice president should wait until 2031 if he still intends to pursue the presidency.
“If Atiku wants to be president, he can wait. He is a leader in Northern Nigeria and is eminently qualified, but it is not our time now. He has to wait till 2031. For now, it is the South’s turn.”
Sheriff also expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would secure a second term in the 2027 general election, while stressing that the APC would not take victory for granted.
Commenting on Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Sheriff dismissed his chances of securing Northern support in a future election.
“I am not worried about Peter Obi at all because I know that Northerners will never vote for Peter Obi,” he said.
When reminded that Obi recorded significant votes in states such as Nasarawa and Plateau during the 2023 presidential election, Sheriff argued that political dynamics had since changed. He alleged that Obi, during his tenure as governor of Anambra State, “chased all the Northerners out of Anambra,” a claim for which he provided no evidence.
Sheriff further claimed that many supporters of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso were opposed to any political alliance involving Obi.
“This is what Kano people are telling Kwankwaso now: we have always supported you and we will support you if you run for president, but we will not support you to go with Peter Obi,” he said.
The remarks come as opposition politicians continue consultations and political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election.
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