A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Chief Osita Okechukwu, has called on Nigerians, particularly Northern political leaders, to allow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to complete a second term in office in line with Nigeria’s power rotation arrangement.
Okechukwu, a former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), made the call on Saturday during the flag-off of the APC electronic registration exercise at Eke Ward in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.
He stated that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was widely expected to emerge as the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and urged him to respect the zoning and rotational principle of Nigeria’s presidency.
Speaking shortly after registering as an APC member, Okechukwu openly endorsed President Tinubu for a second term, insisting that the President should be allowed to complete eight years in office before power returns to the North.
According to him, by 2031, when Tinubu would have completed his tenure, the presidency should naturally rotate back to the North.
“When President Tinubu completes his tenure in 2031, any southerner aspiring to contest for president will not be supported because it will be the turn of the North,” he said.
Okechukwu argued that any attempt by Atiku Abubakar to contest the presidency during the South’s turn would show a lack of commitment to national unity and fairness.
He recalled that Abubakar himself benefited from the zoning arrangement in 1999 when he emerged as Vice President under President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He explained that several prominent Northern politicians at the time, including Abubakar Rimi, Umaru Shinkafi, Adamu Ciroma, and Bukola Saraki, were qualified to contest the presidency but stepped aside in the interest of national cohesion.
“That spirit of good faith, restraint, and self-censorship was what produced the Obasanjo-Atiku presidency in 1999,” he said.
Okechukwu further noted that Nigeria’s power rotation system was adopted to stabilize the country following years of military rule and political instability.
He added that the arrangement worked successfully between 1999 and 2007 when power moved from the South to the North.
The APC chieftain also recalled that Atiku Abubakar’s actions in 2003 allegedly undermined the zoning arrangement within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he said contributed to internal crises that weakened the party.
He expressed concern that the ADC, which Abubakar is associated with, had thrown its presidential ticket open, a move he said undermines Nigeria’s rotational understanding.
Okechukwu stressed that allowing Tinubu to complete a second term would help sustain the ongoing economic reforms, strengthen democracy, and preserve national peace.
Commending President Tinubu’s economic policies, he expressed optimism that the reforms were already yielding results and that Nigerians would experience greater benefits if given more time.
Also speaking at the event, APC ward member Mrs. Kate Offor described the e-registration exercise as proof of the party’s commitment to transparency.
She said the process would ensure credible membership records and enhance the fairness of the 2027 general elections, expressing confidence that President Tinubu would secure a landslide victory.
In his remarks, the APC e-registration agent in Eke Ward, Mr. Chibuzor Onyeama, confirmed that the exercise had commenced successfully and pledged to register more members.
He explained that the registration requirements include a National Identification Number (NIN), voter identification number, and phone number, noting that minor network challenges were the only setback recorded.
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APC Chieftain Urges Northerners to Allow Tinubu Complete Second Term
