Power rotation is a political convention, not a constitutional decree and certainly not a tool to silence credible opposition.”
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has accused the presidency of attempting to subvert democracy and silence dissenting voices.
Presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, had, while reacting to a statement by Atiku that he will be making a last attempt for the presidency in the coming election during a live interview on Wednesday evening, insisted that his principal (Tinubu) “must complete eight years” in office in line with the informal zoning arrangement.
According to him, having succeeded a northern president who served two terms, it is the South’s turn to retain power until 2031.
In a response posted on X on Thursday, Shaibu wrote, “Dear @aonanuga1956, let me tell you clearly: no presidential aide, no matter how loud or reckless, has the authority to rewrite the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or reduce democracy to a regional entitlement scheme. Power rotation is a political convention, not a constitutional decree and certainly not a tool to silence credible opposition.”
He further described the stance as an attempt to intimidate the opposition, adding, “This tired attempt to bully @atiku out of the race reeks of fear, not principle. The same people who shredded zoning within their own party when it suited them now pretend to be its custodians. Hypocrisy has never worn such a cheap costume. Let’s dismantle this lazy narrative.”
Shaibu also dismissed claims surrounding the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, alleging irregularities.
“First, the 2023 election was not lost because of zoning. It was lost through a toxic cocktail of state-backed interference, institutional compromise, and electoral irregularities that Nigerians have not forgotten. So spare us the revisionist history,” he said.
Rejecting the notion that Tinubu must complete two terms, he said, “The notion that @officialABAT ‘must complete eight years’ is the most anti-democratic statement anyone can make in a constitutional republic. Presidents are not crowned for eight years, they are elected, and they can be voted out. That is the essence of democracy your camp seems to have conveniently forgotten.”
He added that Nigeria’s sovereignty lies with its citizens, not political arrangements, saying, “Nigeria does not belong to any region, any rotation cartel, or any political clique. It belongs to Nigerians. I mean, all Nigerians who are today groaning under the weight of disastrous policies, crushing inflation, and a government that has clearly lost its moral and economic compass.”
“So here is the reality your camp must come to terms with: @atiku does not need your permission to run. He does not need validation from aides who confuse loyalty with noise. And come 2027, it will not be aides, nor propaganda, nor recycled talking points that decide Nigeria’s future, it will be the Nigerian people. And they are watching. Closely.”