Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed

Vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 polls, Mr Datti Baba-Ahmed, has hinted that the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Party, ADC, may be zoned to the South.

On Thursday, a coalition of opposition forces formally adopted the ADC as its platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2027 general elections.

Baba-Ahmed, however, wondered what would happen to the presidential aspiration of presidential candidate of LP in the 2023 polls, Peter Obi, and former Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, if former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, decides to vie for the ticket, which is against the principle of zoning.

Baba-Ahmed stated this on Prime Time, an Arise TV programme, just as Rotimi Amaechi, who spoke on Politics Today, a Channels TV programme, insisted that by adhering to the zoning arrangement, a Southerner must be re-elected in 2027.

Speaking on the issue of zoning, Baba-Ahmed said: “Let us come back to this unwritten understanding in Nigerian presidential politics, which is rotation. The North spends eight years and the South spends eight years. I am speaking from experience because I was directly involved, and it was part of my campaign speeches in 2022-23.

“Did you realise that in 2018-19, from the two major parties, not a single Southerner even bought the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, form for presidency? What does that say? Respect, brotherhood and gentleman-ness. And, of course, Atiku contested in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and won.

“It was not a question. Buhari was the candidate of the APC and, you know, Buhari took the day eventually. Come 2022-23, Atiku was still on the tickets. Now, Peter Obi came out from the south and contested. Amaechi contested and came second in the APC. He was second to Tinubu, who is also from the south.

“So you see three leading candidates. 2027, the default position thinking also is that it should be from the south. If Atiku takes it, how will Ameechi and Peter Obi take it?” On his part, Amaechi said: “For now, the way Nigeria is, you must keep to that unwritten agreement that says the South spends eight years and the North eight years. I led a fight against the PDP government because there was an agreement that government, at that time, must spend four years. But it reneged after four years.

“I said that was unfair, and it was instability at its peak because the North would react. I told them the best thing to do was to support a Northern candidate to continue the balance of power. Ahead of 2027, I would be among those saying no to the North, and the South must be allowed to complete its tenure.”