Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has publicly acknowledged an error in judgment regarding presidential rotation during the drafting of Nigeria’s democratic constitution, speaking in an interview on Arise TV.
The ADC presidential aspirant recalled a significant disagreement during constitutional deliberations.
“There was an argument between the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme and myself, in particular representing the late Shehu Ya’radua group,” Atiku stated. “Dr. Alex Ekwueme proposed a provision in the constitution for a rotational presidency, and I was leading the group and I opposed it.”
He explained how his faction’s numerical advantage determined the outcome.
“And because we controlled about 60 to 70% of the delegates, Dr. Ekwueme’s amendment did not go through,” the former vice president said.
Atiku described a later moment of reflection that changed his perspective.
“Now, in hindsight, when I attended the funeral of the late Dr. Ekwueme, I admitted that I made a mistake,” he revealed.
He expressed regret about the consequences of that decision.
“I should have supported Dr. Ekwueme’s amendment, and the presidency would have rotated to all the zones in the country,” Atiku concluded.
His admission is notable given ongoing debates about zoning and power rotation in Nigerian politics, with the former vice president acknowledging that constitutionalizing rotation—rather than leaving it to informal party arrangements—might have prevented current controversies over which region deserves the presidency.