APC Chieftain Urges Atiku to Embrace Zoning and Stop Blaming Tinubu
A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu, has called on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to allow the South to complete its turn of the presidency for the benefit of Nigeria.
Okechukwu was responding to a request from the Southern Political Progressive Amalgamation Forum, which urged Atiku to carefully select his vice‑presidential running mate ahead of the 2027 general election to build a stronger support base in the southern region.
He dismissed the forum’s appeal, arguing that pressure from such groups had pushed Atiku to abandon the rotation rule, which in turn created instability within the sister party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) urged the former vice president to return to the zoning convention, saying it would help strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
Okechukwu reminded that Atiku had previously endorsed the value of zoning when former President Goodluck Jonathan was in office, and having benefited from the arrangement, he should now uphold it for national unity, fairness, and political peace.
“It’s never too late to make things right,” Okechukwu said. “He should act like a leader and stop blaming President Tinubu with harsh words. Instead, he should use the remaining months to build a strong opposition.”
The appeal highlights the ongoing debate over power sharing in Nigeria’s political landscape and the role of opposition parties in preparing for the next electoral cycle.
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