Former Voice of Nigeria Director-General and APC founding member, Osita Okechukwu, has warned that the dispute over zoning ahead of the 2027 presidential election could deepen North-South divisions, accusing former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar‘s ambition of heightening political tensions.

Okechukwu argued that the controversy underscored the importance of power rotation in managing Nigeria’s diversity, warning that presidential ambitions should not override conventions designed to promote national unity.

In a statement on Sunday, 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.

He cited Sudan’s experience with ethnic rivalry as a warning against allowing political competition to escalate into deeper communal tensions.

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.

He further blamed Atiku’s emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party‘s presidential candidate in 2023 for divisions within the party, which he said had yet to recover fully from the zoning dispute.

“Zoning advocates have consistently maintained that presidential power rotation is a vital instrument for managing Nigeria’s diversity,” he said.

The APC chieftain recalled political figures such as Abubakar Rimi, Umaru Shinkafi, Adamu Ciroma, Sola Saraki, Alex Ekwueme and Ogbonnaya Onu, whom he said placed national unity above personal ambition during the transition to civilian rule in 1999.

He also cited the 1999, 2007 and 2019 presidential elections as examples of how regional accommodation had featured in Nigeria’s political development.

Beyond zoning, Okechukwu raised concerns over reports that security personnel had been deployed to protect candidates’ campaign posters and billboards.

He argued that such assignments could divert security resources from tackling kidnapping, armed robbery, farmer-herder violence and insurgency.

Okechukwu urged Atiku’s supporters and other political stakeholders to reject the framing of the 2027 election as a contest between the North and South.

He warned that turning the presidential race into a regional struggle could heighten ethnic tensions and threaten democratic stability.