2027: Tinubu must complete eight years, Atiku should wait until 2031 — Ali Modu Sheriff

Former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, has said President Bola Tinubu should be allowed to complete a second term in office, insisting that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar should defer any presidential ambition until 2031.

Sheriff also expressed doubt over the electoral prospects of Peter Obi in northern Nigeria, arguing that the region would not support the former Anambra State governor even if he were to pick Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate.

Speaking on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, on Monday night, Sheriff maintained that the North would not vote for Obi in the 2027 presidential election.

“I don’t worry about Peter Obi because I know Northerners will never support him,” Sheriff said during the programme.

He claimed that Obi’s actions while serving as governor of Anambra State had shaped public perception of him in parts of northern Nigeria.

According to Sheriff, some supporters of Kwankwaso in Kano have indicated they would continue to back the former Kano governor if he contests for president independently but would be reluctant to support him if he aligned politically with Obi.

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On Atiku’s presidential ambition, Sheriff argued that the principle of power rotation should be respected, maintaining that the presidency should remain in the South after the completion of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure.

Describing Atiku as an experienced and respected political leader, Sheriff nevertheless said the former vice president should wait until 2031 before seeking the presidency.

His comments come amid growing political realignments and speculation over potential alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections, with discussions continuing over possible coalition arrangements among opposition figures.