The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said he is unlikely to seek the presidency again after the 2027 general election, citing Nigeria’s informal power rotation arrangement between the North and the South.
Obi made the remarks during an interview with media personality Rufai Oseni, where he reflected on his political future and the country’s zoning principle.
According to the former Anambra State governor, his decision would largely depend on the outcome of the 2027 election and the direction of Nigeria’s political landscape thereafter.
“For me, it depends on what happens. I don’t want to say it because people might think that I’m saying it because of some people,” Obi said.
The former governor recalled responding to a similar question from a secondary school student, explaining that if he does not become president in 2027, the next opportunity for the South to produce a president may not come until much later.
“I said because if I don’t run now, by the next time it comes, believing in the zoning formula, it will go to the North,” he stated.
Obi noted that if power returns to the North in 2031, he would be about 78 years old by the time the presidency rotates back to the South.
“If it goes North in 2031, by the time it comes again to the South, I will be 78 years old, and I don’t think I would be doing this at that age,” he said.
The former presidential candidate added that he could only consider another bid if the presidency remained in the South beyond 2027, although he acknowledged that such a possibility appears unlikely.
“If it’s still in the South in the next election, maybe, but the probability is very slim. I don’t know until after the 2027 election,” he added.
Obi’s comments have further fuelled discussions about the future of Nigeria’s zoning arrangement and the political calculations ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
