The Social Democratic Party and the Labour Party on Thursday criticised the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) warning that his renewed ambition could further inflame tensions surrounding Nigeria’s delicate North-South power rotation arrangement.
Both opposition parties argued that beyond constitutional rights, national stability and political sensitivity should guide presidential ambitions in a multi-ethnic federation like Nigeria.
The reactions followed Atiku’s victory at the ADC presidential primary, where he defeated former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen to secure the party’s ticket for the 2027 election.
The SDP reaffirmed its commitment to zoning its presidential ticket to the South, insisting that the arrangement was part of the party’s constitutional framework aimed at promoting fairness, inclusion and national cohesion.
Speaking on the issue, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, said the SDP deliberately institutionalised rotational presidency as a mechanism for balancing power among Nigeria’s diverse regions.
“SDP, as a truly national political party, believes in and will always promote the need to balance power and create equity and entrench a sense of belonging amongst the varied ethnic nationalities and building blocs of the country.
“That is why the party has institutionalised in its constitution the concept of rotating the presidential ticket between the South and North of the country.”
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Despite the emphasis on zoning, Aiyenigba maintained that competence and leadership capacity remained essential considerations in determining who eventually occupies political office.
The Labour Party adopted a more critical tone, describing Atiku’s decision to seek the presidency again as politically insensitive given ongoing national conversations around equity and regional balance.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, the LP said the former Vice President’s ambition failed to reflect the fragile realities of Nigeria’s political structure.
“While the Constitution undoubtedly grants him the right to contest, morality and political sensitivity ought to guide such ambitions in a fragile federation like ours.”
The Labour Party also pointed to controversies surrounding the ADC presidential primary, including allegations of irregularities and internal disagreements, as signs that the coalition platform was already struggling with credibility issues.
The party positioned itself as the strongest opposition alternative ahead of the 2027 elections, citing its nationwide grassroots network and institutional links with organised labour bodies such as the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.
According to Asogwa, the Labour Party possesses stronger nationwide structures than several opposition coalitions currently emerging ahead of the polls.
The LP spokesman argued that while the ADC was battling internal contradictions, the Nigeria Democratic Congress lacked sufficient national spread, while the Peoples Democratic Party had continued to weaken under the burden of internal crises.
“We therefore urge Nigerians to continue to place their hopes in the Labour Party as the only realistic and credible pathway towards rescuing the country from the stranglehold of the APC government,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Coalition of United Political Parties defended Atiku’s repeated presidential ambitions, insisting that no law restricts how many times a politician can contest for office.
Speaking on the growing debate, CUPP’s Publicity Secretary, Mark Adebayo, argued that Atiku’s persistence merely reflected his determination and political vision.
“There is no crime in running multiple times for any political office. So, even if Atiku has run 100 times, he can still continue to run for as long as he has the energy, health, and resources. There is no law that limits the number of times anyone can run for a particular office.
“I believe it just shows his determination and vision. Even President Bola Tinubu, at the time he wanted to declare for the Presidency in 2022, said it had been his lifelong ambition.”
Adebayo also alleged that the ADC coalition had been structured from the onset to favour Atiku’s emergence, claiming that it would have been difficult for any other aspirant, including Labour Party’s Peter Obi, to secure the ticket ahead of the former Vice President and his political allies.
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