Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has cautioned political coalitions working to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections to steer clear of regional agitation and focus instead on competence and national unity.

In a statement released on Monday, Frank warned that attempts to zone the presidency exclusively to the South or North could derail the coalition’s broader objective of forming a viable alternative to the ruling APC.

“Nigeria needs a president for all Nigerians, not a president for northern or southern Nigeria,” Frank said. “We need someone who can tackle insecurity, unemployment, poverty, and failing infrastructure, not someone chosen based on their region.”

Frank, a political activist from Bayelsa State and ambassador of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) to East Africa and the Middle East, argued that any candidate, regardless of zone, should be allowed to contest freely, so long as they are competent and acceptable to the electorate.

“The president in 2027 can come from anywhere — North, South, East or West,” he said. “What matters is the capacity to lead and the trust of Nigerians. Democracy is about contests, not entitlements.”

He described calls from some quarters within the opposition coalition for a southern-only candidate as “divisive and politically reckless”, warning that such a move could alienate supporters from other regions and jeopardise the movement’s unity.

Frank urged political actors to abandon ethnic calculations and instead prioritise the emergence of a “people’s president”, one capable of driving reform, restoring economic stability, and protecting human rights.

He also criticised the idea that the South is entitled to another term on the grounds of completing a supposed rotational cycle, arguing that past presidents from both North and South have faced criticism from their own regions.

“People complained about Jonathan and Obasanjo despite being Southerners. Buhari was also criticised by northerners. Regional representation has not automatically translated to regional development,” he noted.

Frank provided a breakdown of Nigeria’s democratic timeline, asserting that the South has had more years in power since 1999 — 18 years compared to the North’s 10 — by 2027.

He urged the coalition, which recently adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political platform, to conduct transparent and inclusive primaries without zoning restrictions.

“If you’re popular and competent, go to the primaries. Let the best candidate win, whether from the North or South,” he said.

Frank warned that continuing to push for a zoned presidency risks deepening ethnic tensions and weakening the chances of building a broad-based national movement capable of unseating the APC.

“The coalition must avoid ethnic blackmail disguised as political strategy. The goal is not a Southern or Northern presidency; the goal is rescuing Nigeria,” he concluded.