12 May, 2026.
Peter Obi embodies political hypocrisy and rank double standards. The man now preaching zoning as a sacred principle of equity and justice actively campaigned for a Southern president, Goodluck Jonathan, in both 2011 and 2015 — precisely when the South had already enjoyed roughly 10-14 years of presidential power in the Fourth Republic while the North had held office for only about two years.
Here are the plain facts. Olusegun Obasanjo (South) ruled for eight full years from 1999 to 2007. Umaru Yar’Adua (North) took office in May 2007 and died in May 2010 after just about two years and eleven months. By the time of the 2011 election, Jonathan (South) had stepped in, meaning the South was extending its dominance. Yet Peter Obi, then Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, publicly led the zone to endorse and mobilize support for Jonathan, citing benefits such as increased federal presence for the South East. In 2015, Obi went further: he served as Deputy Director General (South) of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation, vigorously pushing for the Southern president’s re-election.
The South-East political establishment and Obi’s allies never cried marginalization or injustice at the time. They happily backed the extension of Southern rule, collected appointments, and enjoyed the associated perks. Zoning was conveniently ignored and dumped when it favored the South and disadvantaged the North. Today, the same voices suddenly resurrect zoning as an unbreakable moral imperative — especially now that it could benefit Peter Obi.
This is not principle. It is pure opportunism and naked double standards. Obi only champions “rotational justice” and equity when the arithmetic favors him or the South. When it meant sidelining the North’s legitimate claim after barely two years in power, he was fully committed to prolonging Southern control.
Obi’s current political partner, Rabiu Kwankwaso, perfectly mirrors this transactional cynicism. Kwankwaso has always made it clear that his loyalty goes to whoever offers him a presidential or vice-presidential ticket. After their coalition’s shifts from ADC to NDC in 2025, Kwankwaso quickly endorsed the party’s decision to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the South and openly offered to serve as Peter Obi’s running mate, conveniently aligning his statements with his personal ambition.
Northern critics are correct: Kwankwaso consistently puts selfish interest above collective Northern good. He shops for platforms, stays silent on imbalances when it suits him, and attacks the system only when his ambitions are blocked.
Obi and Kwankwaso form a marriage of convenience — one who weaponizes zoning only when it serves his Southern ambition, and another who preaches loyalty only after securing a ticket. They sermonize about a “new Nigeria,” equity, and justice while practicing the worst form of expediency.
Zoning should never be a selective tool to be discarded when it benefits the South and revived only when it might favor the North. The North had a strong case after its short stint under Yar’Adua, yet Obi and his allies ignored it in 2011 and 2015. They now have zero moral authority to preach it. Obi’s record lays him bare as a typical self-serving Nigerian politician, not the ethical alternative his supporters claim.
Nigerians deserve leaders with consistent standards, not chameleons who flip principles based on who benefits. Obi and Kwankwaso fail that test completely. Their double standard is not leadership — it is the same old cynical politics in fresh packaging.
Mohammed Bello Doka can be reached via [email protected]
Abuja Network News
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