Sheriff Urges Atiku to Wait Until 2031

Former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff has said Atiku Abubakar should delay any presidential ambition until 2031, insisting that the South should retain Nigeria’s presidency until then.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain argued that the North would not back Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election because President Bola Tinubu should complete a second term in office. According to Sheriff, Nigeria’s political leaders agreed on a system of rotational leadership after the civil war to promote regional balance.

Explaining his position, Sheriff said, “After the civil war our leaders have said that there will no longer be this situation in Nigeria, there is a regional agreement. For Atiku, it’s not our time now. He is on his own because it is the turn for the South. Buhari just finished 8 years.

“If Atiku wants to be president, he can wait; he is a leader in Northern Nigeria, he is eminently qualified, but it is not our time now; he has to wait till 2031. That is the time for the North, for now, it is time for the South.”

Sheriff also expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would secure re-election in 2027, although he said the APC must work hard ahead of the polls to achieve victory.

Commenting on the opposition, Sheriff dismissed the chances of Peter Obi, whom he identified as seeking the presidency under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). He claimed Northern voters would not support Obi in the next election despite the former Labour Party candidate’s performance in 2023, when he secured more than six million votes.

Responding to questions about Peter Obi’s support in Nasarawa and Plateau during the last election, Sheriff maintained that political circumstances had changed. He further alleged that voters in Kano would not support Rabiu Kwankwaso if he became Obi’s running mate, while also making claims about Obi’s time as governor of Anambra State.

How do you view Sheriff’s comments on power rotation and the 2027 presidential race?