Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has criticized Nigeria’s rotational presidency arrangement, arguing that national leadership should be based on competence rather than geographic origin.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Sowore emphasized that what matters most to Nigerians is effective leadership, regardless of where a president hails from.
“If I have a good president in Nigeria, who can run this country very well, I don’t care where he comes from,” Sowore said.
He added that most Nigerians share this sentiment and want a leader capable of delivering results, not one selected based on regional considerations.
“That is what the majority of the Nigerian people are aspiring for. That is the idea of this federation—that all the federating units should be able to have an opportunity.
When you zone it to the north, the majority of the northerners would want to take a shot at it. When you zone it back to the south, the south of Nigeria is not Yoruba or Igbo alone. It is just senseless.”
Sowore argued that all qualified presidential aspirants should be allowed to contest, stressing that the focus should be on their capabilities, vision, and credibility rather than their geopolitical background.
“Zoning the presidency to the worst character in the country is not going to make you get anywhere.
Give everybody a chance. That is why they said, ‘Come and contest for president, governor, local government chairman, and present your agenda, speak to us, and we will look at your character, exposure, and vote for you’.”
The debate over zoning the presidency has resurfaced as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections. Power brokers and political stakeholders are increasingly divided, with many in the South insisting the region should retain the presidency for another term.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, from Lagos State in the South-West, won the 2023 presidential election, succeeding Muhammadu Buhari, who served two terms from Katsina State in the North-West.
Despite Tinubu’s victory, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar—who hails from Adamawa State in the North-East—is actively positioning himself for another presidential bid. Alongside other opposition figures, Atiku has continued to push for a united front to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
