Osinbajo’s aide warns against tampering with rotational presidency
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed concern over the possibility of Nigeria sliding into a one-party state with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) gradually taking more states ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This was as former Presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, said that the rotational presidency has come to stay in Nigeria; hence, it will be difficult to terminate the Southern presidency in 2027.
PDP expressed this while addressing the Akwa Ibom State executives, supporters and stakeholders of the party during a ‘thank you’ visit to the party’s office by Governor Umo Eno.
National Woman Leader of the party, Amina Darosimi, who spoke on behalf of the National Working Committee (NWC), noted the developmental strides of Eno’s administration, affirming the party’s acknowledgement of the feat.
She assured, “The PDP remains committed to resisting any move to make Nigeria a one-party state because PDP is offering a viable opposition in the nation,” and pledged the party’s support to ensure that Governor Eno secures a second term “to make the party proud.”
Responding, the governor expressed gratitude to the party for galvanisng support across its various structures towards the success of his administration since the May 29, 2023 inauguration. He explained that his visit was in line with the age-long tradition of leaders, who emerged on the party’s platform, noting that it was a homecoming for him. AKANDE, a former Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, made the remark in a chat with newsmen, yesterday, in Lagos.
Describing political merger talks and plots to return power to the North in 2027 as child’s play, Akande said such was not going to work.
“I think it is just a child’s play (terminating southern presidency in 2027). Nigeria has gone past that. The South is going to get its eight years. The North will get the next eight years. Politicians are just going to make noise. It is not going to be possible.
“Rotational presidency has come to stay in Nigeria. There is a national consensus around the idea of a rotational presidency between the South and the North. Anybody trying to reverse that is just joking,” he said.
On talks among opposition political parties for a possible merger in 2027 against the APC, Akande said mergers would not birth the solutions to the country’s problems.
He said: “All of these political mergers are not going to solve the problems of Nigeria. In 2014, there was a merger that led to APC. There were expectations in this country. APC carried the national wave. Nine years later, where are we? We are nowhere different from where we were then because the core issues have been left unaddressed.
“So, all of these mergers, even if they (proponents) succeed, what is going to happen is that they will just change the characters of people in the Government House. We need to understand that there are fundamental problems that have to be sorted out, and we cannot leave it to politicians.” Urging Nigerians to unite against common challenges, Akande said politicians were benefiting from the system.
