A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Osita Okechukwu on Thursday, said the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has raised serious concerns over the unforced error of elevating personal ambition above the zoning convention.

Okechukwu said since the advent of the Fourth Republic, zoning has largely guaranteed national cohesion, patriotism, fairness, and a sense of belonging among Nigerians.

He said it amounts to political opportunism for the ADC to disregard the zoning principle at a time when virtually all major political parties like APC, PDP, LP, NDC and a majority of Nigerians subscribe to rotational presidency in the overriding national interest.

In a statement he signed, the former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, said by its action, the ADC has “chosen to return Nigeria to the old and divisive North-versus-South political morass, which made Rotimi Amechi reject the offer of vice president.

He stressed that “Nigeria’s unity remains non-negotiable and that no individual’s political ambition should supersede national cohesion, as nobody can be president in a crisis-ridden country.”

Okechukwu further argued that with “Nigeria entangled in palpable insurgency, it is most patriotic and appropriate that all northern political gladiators except one are patiently waiting for 2031, the Northern turn under the existing rotational understanding.”

He expressed hope that the ADC leadership will not blame the APC and, by extension, President Tinubu when the majority of Nigerians vote against their unforced error of breaching the zoning convention, bearing in mind that their 2023 breach of the same principle significantly contributed to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s irretrievable and deep internal divisions till date.

Okechukwu maintained that history will ultimately judge the leaders of the ADC not by the intensity of their rhetoric and rationalisation but by their non-adherence to the zoning glue that contributes to national unity, institutional stability and democratic consolidation.

Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday night emerged as the flag bearer and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

The Returning Officer of the exercise, Tunde Ogbeha, announced the results on Wednesday in Abuja.

Atiku defeated former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen to become the party’s presidential candidate in next year’s general elections.

DAILY POST reports that the party had a total of 3,113,599 registered members, while it had the sum total of 2,527,977 vote cast.

The final results saw Atiku polling 1,846,370, Amaechi having 504,117, while Hayatu-Deen securing 177,120

Director of Research, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof. Femi Otubanjo, has described Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, candidate for the 2027 election as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Otubanjo, who spoke in an interview with Arise News TV on Thursday, claimed that the former Vice President created ADC as his personal vehicle to contest the coming election.

According to him, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, foresaw the outcome of the ADC primary election and moved from the party.

“Atiku’s emergence is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy; there is nothing to it, and that is why Peter Obi ran away to NDC because no one else could have defeated Atiku”, he said.

Using a soccer analogy, Otubanjo claimed that while President Bola Tinubu and Atiku are in the Premier League, Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, are in the Champions League.

“The ADC is a special-purpose vehicle for Atiku’s candidacy. Using a football analogy, Atiku and Tinubu are the only two in the Premier League of Nigerian politics.

“Peter Obi and Kwankwaso are in the Championship, with Rotimi Amaechi and the likes in League One. I’m surprised Amaechi wants to be president”, he added.