Chief Osita Okechukwu, a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), has called on Northern politicians to respect the rotational presidency arrangement by supporting President Bola Tinubu for a second term. Speaking during the launch of the APC e-registration exercise at Eke Ward in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State on Saturday, January 17, 2026, Okechukwu argued that allowing the South to complete an eight-year tenure is essential for Nigeria’s political stability and national unity.
The APC chieftain specifically targeted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is currently a leading figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Okechukwu asserted that Atiku’s continued ambition to contest the presidency “betrays a lack of interest in the unity of Nigeria.” He reminded the former Vice President that the rotational formula, which began as a convention in 1999 to appease the South after the annulment of the June 12 election, was the same mechanism that allowed Atiku to serve as Vice President under Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to Okechukwu, the North should wait until 2031 to field a candidate, at which point the South would be expected to concede power. He praised President Tinubu’s ongoing economic reforms, claiming the “economy is bouncing back” and requires a full eight-year cycle to yield its maximum benefits for the populace. Other party members at the registration event, including Mrs. Kate Offor, echoed these sentiments, describing the e-registration as a transparent tool that would ensure a “landslide victory” for the APC in the 2027 general elections.
