Dr. Doyin Okupe, a former presidential aide and former executive director of Peter Obi 2023 Presidential Campaign Organisation, has declared that the presidency will remain in the South after 2027, ruling out the possibility of a transfer of power to the North. .
In an interview with The Sun, Mr Okupe acknowledged the growing mobilization of Northern elites and young political thinkers, saying this was a positive step towards addressing the longstanding neglect of the region’s masses. He said there is.
However, he ruled out the possibility of a northerner assuming the presidency in 2027, citing Nigeria’s established tradition of power change.
“We cannot bring power back to North Korea. We will rotate between the north and the south. The north will do it for eight years, then the south for eight years,” Okupe said. “I’m not saying Bola Tinubu has to be president in 2027, but he won’t be a Northerner.”
Mr. Okupe highlighted the historical precedent of balancing regional representation in leadership to maintain national unity.
He cited past examples such as when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo became president after the June 12, 1993 presidential election was annulled, on the basis of a tacit agreement to appease the South-West.
“Remember, when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo became president, there was a tacit national consensus that someone from the South-West would become president, because the candidate for that election was Obasanjo. Because they were Jo and Obasanjo,” Chief Olu Falae said. Therefore, head and tail, southwest wins.
“It was a national concession and it was not in vain because stakeholders felt at the time that there was a need to reassure the South-West after the death of Chief MKO Abiola, who was thought to have won the election.It was a matter of northern interests. As you know, this has not been the case in politics. Those who ruled the country were more concerned with national interests than regional ones, and the failure of the national elite system to evolve is the most fundamental problem behind Nigeria’s stagnation. One, and that’s because we’re all going in different directions.”
Challenges to rotation
Responding to concerns from some northerners that the southern president might seek to extend his term beyond the agreed order in 2027, Mr Okupe described the situation as a “political quagmire”.
He said any attempt to field another southern candidate against Tinubu would inadvertently perpetuate southern dominance, given that there is no enforceable agreement limiting tenure to one term. He argued that it was possible.
“It’s a political quagmire. If North Korea decides to field another southern candidate against Bola Tinubu, they will be shooting themselves in the foot,” Okupe said. Remember, this is a third world country. Let’s assume you bring in a new guy and he wins. There is no agreement he will make with you. He won’t spend another 8 years. That would mean another 4 lifetimes of rotation to the south. So what did Tinubu do? Let’s put this in perspective. Tinubu brought this country out of the situation it has been in for the past eight to 10 years. I’m saying it here because it’s true.
“The government has not been able to articulate this position clearly, but those of us who are looking in from the outside can see it. By the time the Tinubu government came to power, this country was complete and the social and economic We spent 98 percent of our income, 98 per dollar. Cents were being used to pay off debt. We were subsidizing electricity. We were subsidizing virtually everything. There was severe arbitrage.
“What did the Muhammadu Buhari regime do? They just went on and printed money and kept printing money until they printed up to N30 trillion. There are several countries that have done this in the past, so it’s not a matter of Nigeria being rich, but Venezuela being one of the largest oil reserves in the world. Poverty is worse than here. If you look at 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollars, it’s probably worth about $15 or $16.”
Tinubu’s reforms: necessary adjustments
Turning to President Tinubu’s administration, Okupe praised its bold economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and unification of the exchange rate. He said these measures are essential to stabilize a country on the brink of collapse.
Okupe acknowledged the public’s frustration over rising costs such as fuel prices and inflation, but stressed that these sacrifices are necessary to avoid economic catastrophe.
Mr Okupe urged Nigerians for patience, insisting it was too early to judge the Tinubu government after just 18 months. He asked for understanding of his administration’s efforts to lay the foundations for long-term economic recovery.
