A former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, has warned that the dispute over zoning ahead of the 2027 presidential election could deepen the North-South division.

Accusing former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of heightening political tensions with his ambition, Okechukwu, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the controversy underscored the importance of power rotation in managing Nigeria’s diversity.

In a statement yesterday, he urged Northerners to resist what he described as ethno-identity politics, cautioning that regional rhetoric could worsen divisions in an already fragile political climate, and that presidential ambitions should not override conventions designed to promote national unity.

Okechukwu also faulted the African Democratic Congress (ADC), arguing that the 2027 contest would have been less contentious if the party had respected zoning and presented a southern candidate.

According to him, zoning advocates have consistently maintained that presidential power rotation is a vital instrument for managing Nigeria’s diversity.

Beyond zoning, however, Okechukwu raised concerns over reports that security personnel had been deployed to protect candidates’ campaign posters and billboards, stating that such assignments could divert security resources from tackling kidnapping, armed robbery, farmer-herder violence and insurgency.