Doyin Okupe: Presidency Will Not Return to the North in 2027

Doyin Okupe, former Presidential Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, has stated definitively that the presidency will not return to the North in 2027.

In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Okupe referenced historical precedents to support his stance, recalling the 1999 election when Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency followed an unwritten agreement for a Southwestern leader to address regional grievances after MKO Abiola’s election victory was nullified and he later died in detention.

Okupe explained, “In the past, those managing the country’s affairs prioritized national interest over sectional interests,” highlighting Nigeria’s failure to develop a national elite system as a key reason for the country’s stagnation. He continued, “In 2027, power will not return to the North. We rotate between the North and South, with the North holding power for eight years, followed by eight years from the South.”

He clarified that while Bola Tinubu’s presidency in 2027 is not guaranteed, the next president will not be from the North. Okupe further lamented that Nigeria’s past leaders, including Ibrahim Babangida, Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and TY Danjuma, had failed to nurture a younger elite class to take over leadership.

Okupe cautioned that any effort by the North to back a Southern candidate against Tinubu could lead to that candidate serving an eight-year term, which would pose a dilemma for the North’s future power aspirations.

He commended President Tinubu for implementing vital reforms to address Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges, which he said were dire when Tinubu took office. Okupe criticized the previous administration for its excessive money printing, which contributed to Nigeria’s economic crisis, likening it to Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation. He praised Tinubu for averting such a fate through his reforms.

“Today, Bola Tinubu has made poverty no longer an excuse for lack of education,” Okupe added, referring to the loan fund introduced under Tinubu’s administration.

In his concluding remarks, Okupe acknowledged that reforms often come with temporary discomfort, but emphasized that such pains are necessary for long-term gains.

Meanwhile, political tensions are rising in the North as groups such as the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the League of Northern Democrats (LND) led by former Kano State Governor Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, are mobilizing support to challenge the current administration and reclaim power for the North in the 2027 elections.