Former Borno State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has declared that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is unlikely to secure the backing of the North for his 2027 presidential ambition.
According to Sheriff, political stakeholders and power brokers across the northern region largely believe that political power should remain in Southern Nigeria for the sake of national equity and rotation.
Sheriff noted that the prevailing sentiment across the North favors a continuation of a southern presidency, undermining Atiku’s prospects. His comments follow growing political activities around the 2027 general elections, where Atiku has already positioned himself under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform.
“The North believes in fairness and equity,” an insider familiar with the regional dynamics noted. “There is a strong consensus that the rotation of power to the South must be respected, making a northern candidate’s bid culturally and politically uphill at this time.”
The stance from APC chieftains directly clashes with the strategy of Atiku’s political camp, which recently claimed that the North would act as the ultimate decider for the 2027 outcome.
Atiku’s aides insist the former Vice President remains a pan-Nigerian candidate capable of drawing votes from both sides of the Niger.
Despite pushback from the ruling party, Atiku’s loyalists are heavily focused on building a cohesive opposition front to prevent a split vote in 2027.
As political alignments shift, Sheriff’s remarks signal that the ruling APC intends to heavily leverage the zoning argument to secure its foothold and limit the opposition’s momentum in the North.
