Doyin Okupe, Former spokesman to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has said 2027 is the time for the South to produce president of the country.
Gatekeepers News reports that Okupe during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) on Thursday in Lagos, said it was only fair to allow the South to produce the next president.
The former spokesman said though Atiku Abubakar, PDP presidential candidate in 2023 was eminently qualified to contest in 2027, he didn’t think it was right for him to be the next president.
Okupe said his reason for opposing the idea of Atiku ruling the country in 2027 is geopolitics and not age, adding that the south should be allowed to complete its eight-year term, just as the north did before Tinubu’s presidency.
He said, “Atiku failed in 2023, not because he was not a good person, but because people felt that a northern Muslim cannot succeed another northern Muslim after eight years.”
“If Atiku still contests in 2027, he has a right. He is eminently qualified and one of the best we have, but geopolitics is an issue.”
“The conditionality still persists, a southerner would have just completed four years and needs another four-year term.”
“It’s not in the constitution, but we agree that when a Northerner does his eight years, a Southerner will do.”
“So, the North cannot now terminate the tenure of the South in 2027. It is not going to work.”
Okupe said Peter Obi, 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party could also contest the country’s next presidential election as a Southerner.
The former spokesman however said it would be very difficult for Obi to dislodge President Tinubu because he is working well for the progress of the country.
He said, “Obi can contest. Obi is a young man, very dynamic and very ambitious; but geopolitics is important in a country that has not achieved horizontal and vertical unity.”
“The person who is occupying the place right now, Tinubu, is also a southerner, who is doing well.”
“We can see what this gentleman (Tinubu) is doing. I wish Obi luck, but it is going to be an uphill task.”
Commenting on whether alliances of politicians and parties could unseat Tinubu in 2027, Okupe said he did not see any political gang-up working against him, adding that alliances against the current President will fail because the participants will not be willing to give concessions.
He said, “I have been in this game for 40 years and above. I came into politics in 1978. I have been in several talks, discussions and I have represented my party, my movement in several alliances.”
“We have not attained that maturity to get to the level of being rational and reasonable and ready to give the necessary concession for a group interest. We are not there yet.”
“Even if you look at our private businesses, go and check, 90 per cent of business partnership will crumble within the first three years.”
“I wish those who are trying alliance, I wish them luck but it is going to end up the same way it has always ended up. All the alliances will end up in futility.”
On the alliance that brought former President Buhari in 2015, Okupe said that though he criticised the alliance, Tinubu who is the leader of the alliance conceded everything to make it work.
He said, “The man who spearheaded that alliance, has grown beyond this constitution of naivety and selfishness.”
“You put up an alliance, you set up a dining table, you cook food, and say other people should go and eat it. It is not done anywhere.”
“Everything, he conceded so that the thing could work.”
Okupe expressed doubt in the readiness and willingness of opposition leaders like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso planning against Tinubu in 2027, to concede for one another.
He said, “If you look at it very well, that kind of maturity does not exist.”
Okupe further said that Nigerians are lucky that it was President Tinubu who won the 2023 presidential election, as he has purpose, zeal, and clarity of mind about where he wants to lead the country.
Okupe noted that it took Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore 31 years to bring Singapore from nowhere to the first-world country that it is presently.
He concluded, “It is either we want this country to move forward and be upgraded, or we want to keep playing politics and destroying the lives of our children.”
