Presidency: I Won’t Contest 2027, Will Wait Till 2031 – Saraki
Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has firmly ruled out contesting the 2027 presidential election, insisting that fairness demands allowing the to complete its constitutional turn in power before the North stakes its claim in 2031.
Speaking candidly on the delicate issue of power rotation between Nigeria’s North and South, the influential Kwara State politician explained that his decision is anchored on the principle of political balance and equity, which he believes is essential to avoiding needless disputes in the nation’s fractured political landscape.
“I’m not contesting in 2027 because I believe that it’s only fair that the South came in 2023 and let them finish in 2027. In 2031, there is no ambiguity for those of us that come from the North,” Saraki declared, underscoring his commitment to the unwritten but widely respected zoning formula that has shaped presidential contests since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
Saraki, who served as Nigeria’s number three citizen between 2015 and 2019, further elaborated that by 2031, the rotation of power would unequivocally favour the North, eliminating any room for ambiguity or rival claims that could fracture national unity.
“So when it comes to 2031, God sparing our lives and giving us good health, it’s North as opposed to anything that gives anybody an excuse that in 2031 those from the North want to contest, those from the South want to contest,” he stated emphatically, painting a picture of a more predictable and less contentious electoral future.
The veteran politician, who has long been a key figure in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and occasionally flirted with presidential ambitions, also cautioned that jumping into the 2027 race prematurely would be politically suicidal, as it would alienate southern voters who view the current arrangement, following President Bola Tinubu’s emergence from the Southwest in 2023, as their rightful eight-year tenure.
In a pointed remark that highlights the sensitivities of Nigeria’s ethnic arithmetic, Saraki added that contesting in 2027 would fail to garner sympathy from the South, where political actors are jealously guarding their allotted time at the helm.
“In 2027, I’m not going to contest because we will not get the sympathy of those in the South; they have four years and there’s another four, let them finish and go,” he noted, effectively positioning himself as a statesman willing to defer personal ambition for the greater good of zoning harmony.
His remarks come at a time when discussions on the 2027 polls are heating up, with various northern leaders already signaling interest in reclaiming the presidency after what they see as the South’s completed cycle.
