APC Leader Calls for Fairness and Southern Presidency in 2027

Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Poland, Adekunle Ayoola, has urged political parties, stakeholders, and voters to focus on fairness, equity, and respect as the country prepares for the 2027 elections.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ayoola said the presidency should stay in the Southern part of Nigeria in 2027. He believes this will help maintain the current political agreement on sharing power between the North and South.

He stated that while rotational presidency is not a constitutional right for any region, it is a political tradition meant to ensure balance, inclusion, and a sense of belonging among Nigerians. “As we approach 2027, my position is clear: the presidency should remain in the South for the 2027 presidential election, maintaining the existing political understanding of regional rotation,” Ayoola said.

Ayoola emphasized that rotation should not limit political parties' rights to choose candidates or prevent Nigerians from voting for whom they want. “By ‘rotation,’ I do not mean that any region has an automatic constitutional entitlement to the presidency, nor that voters or political parties should be restricted in exercising their democratic choices,” he explained.

He suggested that the idea of rotation should work as a negotiated political agreement among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and other key stakeholders. He mentioned the North-West, North-East, North-Central, South-West, South-East, and South-South as groups that should be part of discussions on power sharing. He called on political parties, civil society organizations, traditional leaders, and other national stakeholders to join in.

“No region should be treated as an outsider or permanently excluded from the conversation,” he stressed. Ayoola proposed that the political agreement should support the South in 2027, then the North in the next cycle, and later the South-East when power goes back to the South.

He said, “2027, South continues. Thereafter, North. Subsequently, South-East.” Ayoola explained that after the 2027 Southern presidency, the political agreement would favor the North for the next round.

He added that when the opportunity returns to the South, serious consideration should be given to the South-East, while the South-West and South-South should still be able to pursue their political ambitions in future cycles.

Ayoola pointed out that rotational politics should aim to build agreement rather than limit democratic choices. “Political parties remain free to nominate candidates from any part of the country, Nigerians remain free to vote for the candidate of their choice, and no region possesses an automatic constitutional claim to the presidency,” he said.

He argued that the goal should be to create a fair, open, and widely accepted political understanding that gives all parts of the country confidence that their hopes will be respected. “This is not about entitlement or exclusion. It is about fairness, inclusion, balance, and national cohesion,” he said.

As the 2027 elections approach, Ayoola called for positive political engagement. He urged politicians and stakeholders to focus on dialogue and finding common ground. He added, “We are once again on the political field. Let us engage rather than disengage, dialogue rather than divide, and seek consensus rather than confrontation. We should be building bridges, not burning them.”

Ayoola stressed that Nigeria's interests should come before those of individuals, regions, or political parties. “Nigeria is bigger than any individual, region, or political party. Our responsibility is to build a political culture founded on fairness, inclusion, mutual respect, and national unity,” he stated.