Former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has criticised African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar over his alleged position that presidential power should return to Northern Nigeria.
Akande described the reported position as an insult to Nigerians, insisting that the country should maintain the principle of rotational presidency to promote national unity and ensure a sense of belonging among its different regions.
Naija News reports that Akande, a former Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, made the remarks during an interview on Symfoni TV on Friday.
Speaking about the preparedness and viability of presidential candidates ahead of the forthcoming election, Akande questioned the argument that the North is dissatisfied and wants power returned to the region.
According to him, Nigeria should prioritise rotational presidency as a means of strengthening national cohesion and addressing concerns about political representation.
“Atiku is just basically saying that, okay, the North is angry; we want power back. And that idea, with due respect to our brothers in the North, is an insult. It’s an insult. This country, we must maintain rotational presidency for purposes of building a sense of belonging,” Akande said.
Akande Questions ADC’s Choice of Atiku
The former presidential aide also questioned the ADC’s decision to settle on Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate.
Akande suggested that the party could have made different choices, pointing to former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
“If they were serious, they should have picked Amaechi, or they should have prevented Obi from leaving, and then Atiku would have been a star,” he said.
His comments raise questions about the ADC’s candidate selection and the political calculations shaping the opposition ahead of the forthcoming election.
Rotational Presidency Debate
Rotational presidency remains a significant issue in Nigerian politics, with supporters arguing that the arrangement can promote fairness, national inclusion and peaceful power-sharing among the country’s regions.
Akande’s remarks underscore the continuing debate over regional representation and the political implications of calls for power to return to the North.
However, his comments reflect his own position on the issue and should not be taken as evidence that all Northerners share the same political views.
The debate over the ADC’s presidential candidate and the principle of rotational presidency is likely to remain part of wider discussions about political representation and national unity as the election approaches.