Bayo Onanuga Accuses Atiku Abubakar of Undermining Nigeria’s Established North South Power Rotation Agreement

Bayo Onanuga slams Atiku Abubakar over 2027 ambitions, defending the North South power rotation and dismissing the former VP’s recent tenure calculations.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 16, 2026, 5:58 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Politics Nigeria

The Presidency Rejects Atiku’s Narrative on Power Distribution

Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has formally challenged Atiku Abubakar over his recent comments regarding Nigeria’s presidential zoning customs. During an appearance on Arise Television, Abubakar dismissed the notion that the south is entitled to an eight year block following a northern tenure, labeling such claims as an error in judgment. Onanuga argues that this stance is a deliberate attempt to destabilize a sensitive political balance that has guided the nation since its return to democracy in 1999.

Contesting the Arithmetic of Regional Tenure Balances

In his media appearance, Abubakar contended that the south has collectively held the presidency for 18 years compared to only 10 years for the north, suggesting a deficit that favors a northern candidate. According to Onanuga, this calculation is fundamentally dubious because it ignores the specific circumstances of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s death. The presidency maintains that the accidental breach of the north’s tenure by President Goodluck Jonathan’s succession does not invalidate the broader commitment to alternating power between the two regions.

The Historical Fracture of the People’s Democratic Party

Onanuga highlighted Abubakar’s past actions within his own party as evidence of a recurring disregard for internal stability. He noted that as a member of the People’s Democratic Party, Abubakar previously sought to succeed a fellow northerner who had already completed eight years in office. According to Onanuga, this specific ambition fractured the party’s unity and served as the primary catalyst for Abubakar’s resounding defeat at the polls, a pattern the presidency believes is now repeating itself.