Two prominent political figures from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) have advised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar against running for president in 2027.

Diran Odeyemi, a member of the PDP’s National Executive Committee, and Anslem Eragbe, a Labour Party chieftain, emphasized that the presidency should remain in the South until 2031.

Eragbe remarked, “Atiku was not supposed to contest the 2023 presidential election because it was the turn of southern Nigeria. It is the turn of the South till 2031.”

He argued that Atiku should now focus on guiding younger leaders to power.

He further stressed that the 2027 presidency should be zoned to the South-South region, which has had the least representation, with only five years under Goodluck Jonathan.

Echoing similar sentiments, Odeyemi argued that Atiku’s 2023 bid and his continued presidential ambitions were central to the ongoing crisis within the PDP, urging him to abandon any future presidential plans.

“The 2023 election was originally supposed to be between southerners, as former President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, had just completed eight years in office,” he said.

The political leaders are calling for a focus on equity and fairness, advocating for a southern candidate in 2027.