Next president must come from the South – Obasanjo dumps Atiku

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo appears to have dumped the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as he argued that the next Nigerian president after the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari must be a Southerner.

Why next president must be from the South: Since Buhari is from the North, Obasanjo held that he should be succeeded by a candidate from the South.

Why this news story matters: Atiku, who was Obasanjo’s deputy from 1999 to 2007, is the leading northern candidate in the 2023 race.

Obasanjo spoke when he hosted the leaders of the Mzough U Tiv (MUT) from Benue State in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital over the weekend.

All Obasanjo said: According to a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo said he is in support of rotational presidency, saying power must return to the South in 2023.

He charged Middle Belt leaders to keep advocating for rotational presidency for the country, urging Nigerians not to vote based on emotions that could destroy the nation.

Earlier in his words, the Tiv leader, Iorbee Ihagh, had requested Obasanjo to support a power shift from North to South.

Ihagh said the Mzough u Tiv and the Middle Belt Forum had resolved to support the power shift for fairness, justice and true federalism.

He expressed hope that the Middle Belt would produce the president in 2031.

What you should know: Atiku Abubakar was Obasanjo’s deputy from 1999 to 2007.

They both fell out after winning their second term in 2003 and their relationship deteriorated till they left office in 2007 when Atiku contested the presidential election against Obasanjo’s anointed successor, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Earlier this year, Obasanjo said one of the mistakes he made was picking former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate during the 1999 presidential election.