Allow Tinubu Second Term–APC chieftain Osita Okechukwu urges Nigerians and Northern politicians to respect zoning and allow President Bola Tinubu complete his second term to sustain reforms and national unity.
Sunday, January 18, 2026 | Enugu
Allow Tinubu Second Term – APC Chieftain Makes Case for Zoning, Stability
Tinubu Second Term should be respected in the interest of national unity, equity, and democratic stability, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Chief Osita Okechukwu, has said.
Okechukwu, a former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), made the call on Saturday during the flag-off of the APC e-registration exercise at Eke Ward, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Speaking yesterday after registering, the APC stalwart urged Nigerians–particularly Northern political leaders–to allow President Bola Tinubu second term in line with the country’s informal zoning and rotational presidency arrangement.
He argued that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was widely expected to emerge as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and should, therefore, respect the rotational understanding that returned power to the South in 2023.
“By the time Tinubu finishes in 2031, any southerner who is coming for president, we will not allow the person because it will then be the turn of the North,” Okechukwu said.
According to him, any move by Atiku to contest against a sitting Southern president would amount to undermining the unity and balance of the federation.
Okechukwu recalled that Atiku himself benefitted from zoning in 1999 when he emerged as Vice President under President Olusegun Obasanjo, following the collective sacrifice of several qualified Northern leaders.
“If not for good faith, restraint and self-censorship, leaders like Abubakar Rimi, Umaru Shinkafi, Adamu Ciroma and Bukola Saraki were all qualified but conceded power to the South. That was how Atiku became Vice President,” he noted.
Tracing the intellectual roots of rotational leadership, Okechukwu explained that the principle dated back to Switzerland in 1848, where power-sharing was adopted to foster national cohesion and a sense of belonging among diverse groups.
He said Nigeria embraced a similar understanding after years of military rule, especially following the annulment of the June 12 election, with patriots agreeing that power should rotate between North and South.
“From 1999 to 2007, the South completed its tenure and handed over to the North. That agreement stabilised the country,” he said.
The APC chieftain recalled that Atiku’s 2003 presidential ambition disrupted the zoning formula within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a development he claimed plunged the party into a crisis that weakened it significantly.
He expressed concern that the ADC, under Atiku’s influence, had thrown its presidential ticket open, thereby undermining the rotational consensus that has helped manage Nigeria’s diversity.
“To sustain Tinubu’s economic reforms, protect Nigeria’s democracy and preserve peace, the South under Tinubu should be allowed to complete its eight years,” Okechukwu stressed.
Commending President Tinubu’s economic policies, he said early indicators suggested the economy was rebounding and expressed optimism that Nigerians would experience greater benefits if the reforms were allowed to mature into a second term.
Also speaking, an APC member in the ward, Mrs. Kate Offor, described the e-registration exercise as evidence of transparency within the party, expressing confidence that the 2027 general election would be free, fair and credible.
She said the digital registration process would prevent inflation or manipulation of party membership figures, predicting a landslide victory for Tinubu Second Term in 2027.
Meanwhile, the APC e-registration agent in Eke Ward, Mr. Chibuzor Onyeama, confirmed that the exercise had commenced smoothly, despite minor network challenges.
“The registration requirements are the National Identification Number (NIN), voter’s number and phone number. Our only challenge so far has been little network hitches,” Onyeama said.
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