Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s renewed push to secure a northern presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections is encountering significant and growing resistance from within Nigeria’s opposition political space, raising fresh questions about his chances of securing his party’s flag for a sixth presidential run.
Influential stakeholders across party lines are pushing back against the notion of another northern presidency, arguing that the principle of power rotation demands that the 2027 presidential ticket be zoned to the South in the interest of national balance, equity, and unity.
Within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku’s primary platform, southern governors, senators, and party chieftains are reportedly mounting coordinated resistance against any attempt to zone the party’s presidential ticket to the North, insisting that the party’s zoning arrangement favours a southern candidate in 2027.
Critics of Atiku’s ambition also point to his previous unsuccessful presidential campaigns — in 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023 — as evidence that his political capital may be waning among Nigerian voters who are increasingly demanding fresh and younger leadership.
Beyond the PDP, the emerging alliance between NNPP’s Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and Labour Party’s Peter Obi is seen as an additional threat to Atiku’s northern dominance narrative, as it signals that northern voters may have alternative political destinations in 2027.
Political analysts warn that unless Atiku builds a broader southern coalition and addresses the zoning controversy decisively, his path to the presidency in 2027 remains significantly complicated.
CDA News Nigeria will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of Nigeria’s evolving 2027 political landscape.
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