By Suleiman Ibrahim
In a bold proclamation regarding Nigeria’s political future, Mr. Laolu Akande, a former spokesman for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has asserted that the concept of rotational presidency has become an integral part of the nation’s political landscape. Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, Akande emphasized that attempts to terminate the Southern presidency in 2027 will be met with significant resistance and are unlikely to succeed.
Describing any political maneuvers aimed at returning power to the North as “child’s play,” Akande stated, “Nigeria has gone past that. The South is going to get its eight years. The North will get the next eight years.” He dismissed the notion that political noise and merger talks among opposition parties could effectively change this trajectory, declaring, “It’s not going to work.”
Akande’s comments come amid ongoing discussions among various political factions about potential alliances in the lead-up to the 2027 elections. However, he expressed skepticism about the efficacy of these mergers, arguing that they would not address the fundamental issues facing Nigeria. “All of these political mergers are not going to solve the problems of Nigeria,” he said, recalling the 2014 merger that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC). “Nine years after, where are we? We are nowhere different from where we were then because the core issues have been left unaddressed.”
He urged Nigerians to focus on uniting against shared challenges rather than getting caught up in the ambitions of politicians. “That’s why you hear the noise of mergers all over the place. It is just going to be a repeat of what happened with APC,” Akande warned. He stressed the need for a concerted effort to address pressing national issues, including the rule of law, poverty alleviation, corruption, local government autonomy, and constitutional reforms.
Akande called for a national consensus that transcends political parties, ethnic backgrounds, and regional affiliations. “We need to agree that regardless of political parties, regardless of our ethnic differences, regardless of our political differences, all of us agree that this is the minimum that anybody who is running Nigeria or running the state government has to get,” he stated.
As the political landscape evolves in the lead-up to the 2027 elections, Akande’s remarks serve as a reminder of the complexities surrounding Nigeria’s governance and the critical need for unity in addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. He urged citizens to rise above political divides and advocate for meaningful change that goes beyond mere electoral politics.
With the notion of rotational presidency firmly entrenched in the national discourse, the coming years will undoubtedly shape the future of Nigeria’s political structure and governance.
