Nigeria’s Government blasts Atiku over rotational presidency

The Federal Government has taken a swipe on former Vice President and African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, saying that he was among political leaders who participated in discussions that led to the adoption of rotational presidency in Nigeria following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, made the disclosure during a World Press Conference held in Abuja as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 27th Democracy Day anniversary.

According to a statement by the SGF’s Media and Publicity Adviser, Yomi Odunuga, Akume recalled that political leaders at the time engaged in intense deliberations on how to address the political crisis that followed the annulment, with zoning and rotational presidency emerging as a key outcome.

He explained that leaders of the then Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, including the late Chief Solomon Lar and Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, convened meetings in Kaduna where the issue of power rotation between the North and South was discussed extensively.

“It was a tough argument before the issue of rotational presidency was agreed on. At the end, we had to concede. We must do this. June 12 annulment had complicated the whole thing,” Akume was quoted as saying.

He further stated that it was eventually agreed that the presidency would rotate between the northern and southern regions in the interest of national unity and political stability.

Akume added that Atiku Abubakar was present at the meeting where the agreement was reached and played a role in the deliberations that shaped the rotational arrangement.

The camp of the ADC presidential candidate has not yet publicly responded to the statement as of the time of filing this report.