by Mohammed Bello Doka
16 April, 2026
The recent outbursts from the Presidency, channeled through Bayo Onanuga, regarding power rotation represent a masterclass in selective amnesia and logical gymnastics. By attacking former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for questioning the "zoning" status quo, Onanuga has once again prioritized partisan convenience over historical accuracy, revealing a deep-seated hypocrisy in the APC’s governing philosophy.
The presidency’s argument rests on a "sequencing" logic that insists the South must hold power until 2031 to maintain balance, yet this logic only functions if one intentionally ignores the actual duration of governance. Since the return to democracy in 1999, a dispassionate look at the calendar reveals a stark imbalance that Onanuga’s rhetoric seeks to bury under layers of vitriol.
Between Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan, the South held the presidency for thirteen years within the first sixteen years of the Fourth Republic, while the North’s "turn" under Umaru Yar'Adua was effectively reduced to a mere two years of active governance before his illness and eventual passing handed the reins back to the South. By the end of President Tinubu's current term in 2027, the South will have occupied Aso Rock for approximately seventeen years, compared to the North’s eleven years—a total that includes Buhari's full tenure and Yar'Adua’s truncated time.
For Onanuga to demand another four years for the South as a matter of "equity" is to treat the Nigerian public as mathematically illiterate. True equity is measured in the reality of days spent in office, not just whose name appears next on a list that the APC rewrites whenever it suits their grip on power. The APC’s sudden devotion to "zoning" is remarkably convenient, considering that in the lead-up to the 2023 elections, the party leadership was willing to ignore these principles until political winds shifted. Now, they weaponize the concept to silence opposition, labeling constitutional proposals as "desperate" simply because they challenge the current incumbency’s timeline. If the APC were truly interested in national stability rather than tenure elongation, they would engage with the substance of the proposal for a six-year single-term rotational presidency. Instead, they dismiss it because it threatens the eight-year entitlement they have already mapped out for themselves.
Perhaps more concerning than the flawed logic is the unpresidential tone emanating from the spokesperson's office. A presidential aide's role is to clarify policy and elevate the national discourse, yet Onanuga’s rhetoric has increasingly mirrored the aggressive, unrefined language of a motor park tout. By resorting to ad hominem attacks and dismissive jabs like "Atiku will never learn," he degrades the dignity of the office he represents.
This defensive posture and the use of regional baiting to pit the North against the South is a dangerous game to play in a fragile federation. The Presidency cannot have it both ways; they cannot claim to be the guardians of "equity" while presiding over a timeline that has seen the South hold power for the vast majority of the Fourth Republic's duration. By clinging to "sequencing" while ignoring "tenure," Onanuga is not defending democracy; he is defending a selective version of history designed to shield the current administration from a fair mathematical audit.
True statesmanship requires looking beyond the next election cycle, but as long as the Presidency meets intellectual proposals with vitriol, they only prove that their arguments are as hollow as their definition of fairness.
Mohammed Bello Doka can be reached via [email protected]
ANN Politics
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