KEY POINTS

• In a statement on Monday however, Okupe insisted that South should complete his term as president.
• Tinubu appeared largely immune to the prospect of opposition alliances defeating him.
• Okupe lauds Tinubu’s leadership and reforms.

Former spokesman and campaign director to Peter Obi has submitted that Nigeria’s president in 2027 should be from the South and not the North.

Okupe who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday reiterated that fairness in terms of geopolitical zones required that the South’s tenure of eight years should be completed after Bola Tinubu’s presidency.

Qualifications as a geopolitical consideration

Okupe acknowledged Atiku Abubakar’s qualifications and experience, but said his 2027 candidacy would break the unwritten rule that the North and the South should each take a turn at the presidency.

It wasn’t that Atiku wasn’t qualified, but a northern Muslim succeeding another northern Muslim would never fly.” ‘Now that Tinubu, a southerner has done four years, it is the turn of the South to complete its eight years,’ Okupe explained.

“It’s about fairness,” he said. Now it is the turn of North under President Buhari; the South also deserves to complete its cycle. Although it’s not in the constitution, it’s an understanding that brings balance to Nigeria’s fragile geopolitics.”

Peter Obi’s uphill battle

Okupe speaking in support of Peter Obi’s ambitions but acknowledged it would be hard work to unseat Tinubu from his current performance.

Tinubu as a southerner is doing well, while Obi is dynamic and ambitious.” Obi will have a tough sell with Nigerians to change leadership in 2027 but with his clear vision for the country is a welcome development, Okupe added.

Allies of opposition unlikely to be successful

Okupe ruled out a successful knitting of opposition leaders into an alliance, saying they were immature and unwilling to make necessary concessions.

‘The overriding lesson from 2015 was that because Tinubu conceded everything to make coalitions work, he was able to construct alliances.’ Okupe stated: ‘I don’t see Atiku, Obi or Kwankwaso exhibiting the same level of maturity or selflessness’.

Praises for Tinubu’s leadership

Okupe lauded early performance of Tinubu and likened his leadership vision to that of Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore.

‘Tinubu at a time like this is lucky for Nigeria.’ He has clarity, purpose and zeal to move the country forward. “I think it’s time we put development before politics,” he said.