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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned opposition parties against zoning the 2027 presidential ticket to the South, arguing that such a decision could make it easier for President Bola Tinubu to secure re-election.
In a statement released by his camp, Atiku maintained that fielding another southern candidate against a sitting southern president would be politically ineffective and unsupported by Nigeria’s democratic history.
According to the statement, opposition leaders should concentrate on forming a strong and united coalition capable of defeating the ruling party rather than making what it described as emotional or symbolic political choices.
Atiku’s camp questioned how a southern opposition candidate could realistically defeat a southern incumbent president.
“At the core of the question is: how does a Southern opposition candidate realistically unseat a sitting Southern president?” the statement read.
It further argued that Nigeria’s political history offers no example of such an outcome, warning that insisting on that strategy could amount to entering the election already defeated.
The statement added that if opposition parties insist on zoning the presidency to the South, they might as well allow Tinubu to seek re-election unchallenged by a rival candidate from the same region.
According to Atiku’s camp, such a strategy lacks the political strength, national spread, and electoral advantage needed to unseat an incumbent president.
The former vice president’s camp also criticised supporters of southern zoning, describing their position as “intellectually dishonest” and disconnected from present political realities.
“Defeating an incumbent president requires realism, not romanticism; strategy, not sentiment; honesty, not selective memory,” the statement added.
It urged opposition politicians to decide whether their focus is on making symbolic political statements or genuinely winning power in the 2027 election.
The statement stressed that opposition politics should be driven by practical electoral calculations and broad national coalition-building rather than emotional considerations.
On the issue of fairness and power rotation, Atiku’s camp argued that by 2027, the South would have spent more years in power than the North during Nigeria’s current democratic dispensation.
According to the statement, the South would have occupied the presidency for 18 years, while the North would have held power for only 10 years within the same period.
“It becomes difficult to understand the justice in an argument that seeks to deepen an already existing imbalance under the guise of equity,” the statement noted.
The camp also accused some supporters of southern zoning of selective memory, recalling that many of them backed former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 despite calls at the time for power to return to the North.
“It is intellectually dishonest for those who supported a Southern presidency in 2011 to now posture as custodians of rotational justice,” the statement said.
While acknowledging the Southeast’s aspiration to produce Nigeria’s president, Atiku’s camp criticised what it described as “transactional political bargaining” and “symbolic tokenism.”
The statement warned against political arrangements allegedly aimed at satisfying personal ambitions without creating a genuine and sustainable pathway for the Southeast to attain power.
“Principles do not become sacred only when they align with personal ambition,” the statement concluded.
It urged opposition parties and stakeholders to focus on building a broad-based national alliance capable of defeating Tinubu in 2027 rather than becoming distracted by divisive zoning debates.
By Fabian Apechihin
Cristiano Ronaldo’s partner, Georgina Rodriguez, has explained why they chose to have a private wedding at home instead of hosting an extravagant ceremony.
Ronaldo and Rodriguez recently announced their marriage in a joint Instagram post, revealing that the ceremony was a modest affair held in the living room of their mansion in Cascais, Portugal.
The decision surprised many, particularly those who expected the high-profile couple to celebrate their union with a lavish wedding.
In an interview with Vogue, Rodriguez explained that her views about marriage and weddings had changed over the years. She said that although she once dreamed of a fairy-tale wedding as a child, she eventually came to prefer a more intimate celebration with her family.
“As a little girl, I envisioned the grandest castle, the most magnificent carriage, the longest gown and a crown adorned with diamonds,” she said.
“Now, I find myself saying: no. I desire something intimate, shared with my partner and our children, in the comfort of our home. We have access to castles, houses, islands, horses, and cars every day.
“However, an intimate gathering is something more unique for us,” she added.
Rodriguez also explained that holding the ceremony in their living room carried special emotional significance because it is where the family spends much of its everyday life.
“We chose to hold the ceremony in our living room, the place where we share breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and where we experience our daily lives,” she said.
“In 30 years, I want our children to remember that something wonderful occurred at this table, the wedding vows of their parents,” Rodriguez added.
By Fabian Apechihin
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has linked illegal mining in Nigeria to organised crime, terrorism and insecurity across West Africa.
The UN agency disclosed this in a statement on Monday following a meeting between its delegation and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals.
The delegation was led by Tullio Santini, Chief of the Africa Section of the Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB) at UNODC.
Santini described the NSCDC Mining Marshals’ enforcement unit as critical to efforts to combat illegal mining and its associated criminal activities in Nigeria.
The meeting focused on the UNODC Crime-Terrorism Nexus Initiative, led by Robert Haslinger, a law enforcement expert from the Swedish Police.
According to UNODC, the initiative is designed to strengthen cooperation among governments and law enforcement agencies in dismantling the financial and operational links between organised criminal networks and terrorist groups.
Speaking on behalf of the NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, Commander John Onoja Attah described UNODC as an important partner in the fight against illegal mining in Nigeria.
Attah noted that previous training programmes supported by UNODC had significantly improved collaboration between the Mining Marshals and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
He said continued cooperation between relevant agencies would be crucial to addressing the security and financial challenges associated with illegal mining in the country.
By Fabian Apechihin
Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has reflected on the transient nature of political relationships, noting that political associates can become distant despite having once worked closely together.
Kwankwaso made the remarks while recalling some of his former political associates.
“I told him that when I come here, I don’t see Bucknor. When I come here, I don’t see Ambode. I started counting the people,” he said.
According to him, his political experience has shown that relationships formed in politics can change over time, with former allies sometimes becoming strangers despite their previous collaborations.
However, Kwankwaso singled out former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, as one of the few political associates he still considers a friend.
He likened political relationships to friendships formed in school, noting that former classmates can maintain strong bonds despite taking different paths in their political careers.
“It’s not very peculiar to Kano, but I think the Kano experience is special out of the general lots,” Kwankwaso said.
Group Threatens Legal Action Against Akutah Over Alleged Breach of Presidential Directive
Why I Married Cristiano Ronaldo in Our Living Room – Georgina Rodriguez
Illegal Mining in Nigeria Linked to Terrorism, Insecurity – UNODC
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