According to a report by The Punch on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, fresh tension has gripped Nigeria’s political landscape as major opposition parties and pressure groups officially rejected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s stance on the 2027 presidency.
The fallout began after Atiku’s camp warned that fielding a Southern candidate against President Bola Tinubu would lead to an automatic defeat for the opposition.
The Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP), alongside the “Obidient” and Kwankwasiyya movements, have all distanced themselves from Atiku’s position.
They insist that for the sake of national equity and political stability, the presidency must remain in the South for another four-year term.
The Labour Party, through its spokesman Ken Asogwa, dismissed Atiku’s calculations as “pedestrian.” He pointed out that the 2023 election results already proved a Southerner could win despite Northern competition.
Similarly, the NNPP National Chairman, Yusuf Bala Usman, reminded the Atiku camp of the informal power-sharing agreement which dictates that the South should complete an eight-year cycle.
Critics from within the Kwankwasiyya movement described Atiku’s push for a Northern ticket as “insulting” and a sign of “desperation.” They argued that promoting such regional sentiments could deepen the country’s divisions.
Meanwhile, political realignments are already surfacing. Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso have reportedly moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to shield their ambitions from legal traps in other parties.
As the road to 2027 gets shorter, the opposition remains divided: while Atiku insists on a Northern strategy, his rivals are digging in to ensure the South holds onto power.
