Rufai Oseni, anchor at Arise Television, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his position on zoning in Nigeria’s political system, accusing him of inconsistency and hypocrisy.
Speaking during a broadcast on Arise TV while discussing zoning arrangements ahead of the 2027 general elections, Oseni argued that Atiku’s stance on power rotation appears to change depending on his political interests.
“Atiku Abubakar should stop being hypocritical. When zoning favours him, he has no problem with it, but when it doesn’t favour him, he suddenly calls it self-defeating,” Oseni said.
The television host also referenced Atiku’s political actions during the 2011 election cycle, recalling that the former vice president challenged the zoning arrangement within the People’s Democratic Party in court following the emergence of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Is it not the same Atiku that went to court against Jonathan in 2011 to ensure the PDP zoning formula? There were many court cases,” he said.
Oseni added that while some courts declined jurisdiction in the matter, they still acknowledged the existence of the PDP’s zoning arrangement.
“So, when he was going to court, when he was pushing them against Jonathan, zoning was not self-defeating, right? How about when he left Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007?” he asked.
The remarks come amid renewed national conversations over zoning and power rotation ahead of the 2027 presidential election, particularly within opposition parties seeking to build coalitions against the ruling APC.
