In a bold statement that has stirred political discussions, former presidential spokesperson Doyin Okupe declared that the presidency will not return to the north in 2027.
Okupe made the declaration during an interview on Arise TV on Monday, as he addressed growing calls for a northern president in the upcoming electoral cycle.
His comments come amid increasing pressure from various political groups in the north who believe that the presidency should rotate back to their region after the tenure of President Bola Tinubu.
Okupe, however, dismissed these claims, emphasizing the long-standing tradition of power rotation between the north and south.
“Those who control the affairs of this nation, in terms of politics before now, were more interested in national interest than sectional interest,” Okupe said.
He argued that the failure of Nigeria’s political system to evolve a true national elite class has led to the country’s stagnation.
“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,” he explained.
“The Rotation System: North-South Power Share Remains”
According to Okupe, the 2027 election will follow the established power rotation system, which alternates power between the north and south every eight years.
He made it clear that while President Tinubu may not secure a second term, the presidency will not return to the north after his tenure.
“Power cannot return to the North yet. That’s not how we do it,” Okupe stated, confidently asserting that political power in Nigeria is based on this longstanding tradition of north-south rotation.
He further clarified, “We rotate between the North and the South. The North does eight years, at the end of which the South does eight years.”
His statement was direct: “I’m not saying that Bola Tinubu must be president in 2027, but it’s not going to be a northerner.”
This declaration has ignited renewed debates about the fairness and future of Nigeria’s power-sharing agreements.
“A Call for Political Change: The Need for New Leadership”
Okupe also addressed what he sees as a major flaw in Nigeria’s political system—the inability of past leaders to nurture a new generation of political elites.
He expressed regret that figures like former presidents Ibrahim Babangida, Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and TY Danjuma had failed to create the necessary pathways for younger leaders to rise to power.
“These are some of the people who have managed the affairs of this country in terms of political balancing for the last 25 years,” Okupe remarked.
“But, unfortunately, and I regret to say this, they’ve not been able to raise an elite class, a younger group, that can effectively take over from them along the same platforms on which we have grounded this polity,” he added.
For Okupe, this failure to cultivate a new leadership class is a key reason why Nigeria has struggled with stagnation.
“The Battle for Political Power in 2027”
With the 2027 election just around the corner, Nigeria’s political landscape is being shaped by debates over who should take the reins of power.
Okupe’s statements have reinforced the growing divide between those who argue for a return to northern leadership and those who believe the south should maintain control after Tinubu’s presidency.
In recent years, the call for a southern presidency has been bolstered by the belief that political power should rotate fairly between Nigeria’s two main regions.
Okupe’s comments add fuel to this fire, signaling that the political elite will not easily allow a return to northern dominance.
“The fight for 2027 will be a contest for the soul of Nigeria’s political future,” said a political analyst who preferred to remain anonymous.
The ongoing debate reflects deep divisions in the country about how power should be distributed, and whether or not the current system is still relevant.
