Former Borno State Governor and senior member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ali Modu Sheriff, has ruled out the chances of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar winning the 2027 presidential election, maintaining that the presidency should remain in the South until 2031.
Sheriff made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he argued that the North would not support Atiku’s ambition because it was not yet the region’s turn to produce Nigeria’s president.
According to him, political leaders reached an informal understanding after the Nigerian Civil War to promote regional balance in the country’s leadership by rotating power between the North and the South.
“After the civil war our leaders have said that there will no longer be this situation in Nigeria, there is a regional agreement. For Atiku, it’s not our time now. He is on his own because it is the turn for the South. Buhari just finished 8 years.
“If Atiku wants to be president he can wait, he is a leader in Northern Nigeria, he is eminently qualified but it is not our time now, he has to wait till 2031. That is the time for the North, for now, it is time for the South,” Sheriff said.
The APC chieftain expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would secure a second term in office during the 2027 general election.
However, he stressed that the ruling party would not become complacent despite its confidence.
Sheriff stated that the APC would continue to mobilise support and work diligently ahead of the election to ensure victory at the polls.
He also dismissed the presidential aspiration of former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, who is reportedly pursuing another bid for the presidency under the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Obi finished third in the 2023 presidential election after polling more than six million votes nationwide.
Despite that performance, Sheriff insisted that the former Anambra State governor would struggle to gain support from voters in Northern Nigeria during the next election.
“I am not worried about Peter Obi at all because I know that Northerners will never vote for Peter Obi,” he said.
When reminded that Obi recorded substantial votes in states such as Nasarawa and Plateau during the 2023 election, Sheriff argued that the political landscape had changed.
“The situation is different now, you know why? Peter Obi when he was a governor chased all the Northerners out of Anambra State,” Sheriff alleged.
He further claimed that similar sentiments were being expressed among supporters of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in Kano State.
“This is what Kano people are telling Kwankwaso now, that we always supported you and we will support you if you run for president but we will not support you to go with Peter Obi,” he added.
Sheriff’s comments come as political consultations and alignments ahead of the 2027 general election continue to gather momentum, with several opposition figures exploring coalition options to challenge the ruling APC.
