Former presidential aide and ex-Director General of the Peter Obi 2023 Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has declared that the presidency will remain in the South come 2027, dismissing any potential shift of power to the North.
Speaking in an interview with The Sun, Okupe acknowledged the growing mobilization among northern elites and young political minds, describing it as a positive step toward addressing long-standing neglect of the region’s masses.
However, he dismissed the possibility of a northern presidency in 2027, citing Nigeria’s established tradition of power rotation.
“Power cannot return to the North. We rotate between the North and the South. The North does eight years, after which the South does eight years,” Okupe stated. “I’m not saying that Bola Tinubu must be president in 2027, but it is not going to be a northerner.”
Okupe highlighted the historical precedent of balancing regional representation in leadership to maintain national unity.
He cited past instances, such as the presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, which followed an unwritten consensus to assuage the South-West after the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
He said: “I want to remind you that when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo became president, there was an unwritten national consensus that somebody from the South-West, would be president because if you looked at it, the two candidates for that election were Obasanjo and Chief Olu Falae. So head and tail, South-West wins.
“That was the national concession and it was not for nothing. It was because the stakeholders felt then that following Chief MKO Abiola’s death, who was presumed to have won an election, there was a need to assuage the South-West. It was not a question of Northern interest. You see, those who controlled the affairs of this nation in terms of politics before now were more interested in national interest than sectional interest. And our failure to evolve a national elite system is one of the most fundamental problems why Nigeria is stagnating because we all pull in different directions.”
Challenges to Rotation
Responding to concerns from some northerners that a southern president in 2027 might seek to extend their tenure beyond the agreed rotation, Okupe described the situation as a “political quagmire.”
He argued that any attempt to field another southern candidate against Tinubu could inadvertently prolong southern dominance, given the absence of enforceable agreements to limit a tenure to one term.
Okupe said: “It’s a political quagmire. If the North decides to field another southern candidate against Bola Tinubu, then the North will have shot itself on the leg. Don’t forget, this is a third-world country. Let us assume that you bring a new person and he wins. There’s no agreement he will make with you. He will not spend another eight years. So, you just extended the lifespan of the rotation to the South by another four years. What has Tinubu done? Let’s come to terms with this. Tinubu has come with very serious reforms that will take the country away from the situation which it has been undergoing for the past eight to ten years. I will say it here because that is the truth.
“This government has not been able to articulate this position but those of us who are watching from the outside can see it. As of the time that the Tinubu administration was coming to power, the country was finished and was socially and economically finished. We were spending 98 per cent of our revenue and 98 cents on every dollar was being used for debt servicing. We were subsidizing fuel. We were subsidizing power. We were subsidizing virtually everything. There was severe arbitrage in the foreign exchange market.
“What did the Muhammadu Buhari administration do? They just went ahead and printed and continued to print money until they printed up to N30 trillion. Nigerians did not feel it because money was available although it was not backed by anything. There are a few countries that have done this in the past. So, it’s not a matter of Nigeria being rich. Venezuela is one of the largest reservoirs of crude oil in the world. The poverty in Venezuela is worse than here. If you look at 100 trillion Zimbabwe dollars, it is probably worth about $15 or $16.”
Tinubu’s Reforms: A Necessary Adjustment
Turning to President Tinubu’s administration, Okupe praised its bold economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and unification of exchange rates. He described these measures as essential steps to stabilize a nation on the brink of collapse.
Okupe acknowledged the public’s frustration with rising costs, including fuel prices and inflation, but emphasized that these sacrifices were necessary to avert economic catastrophe.
Okupe urged Nigerians to exercise patience, arguing that it was premature to judge Tinubu’s administration after just 18 months. He called for understanding of the administration’s efforts to lay the foundation for long-term economic recovery.