By Ahmed Akanbi
A former chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Jackson Lekan Ojo, has said that opponents of ex-Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, are making a mistake by underrating him, declaring that Atiku would inherit the 12 million Northern block votes associated with late President Muhammadu Buhari in 2027.
In an interview in Abuja, Ojo said while Southern votes would be scattered among about 10 presidential hopefuls, the Northern vote will remain consolidated behind the leading candidate from the region.
“I am a nationalist. Don’t forget Buhari’s 12 million traditional block votes in the North. Who do you think will inherit it? Atiku will inherit it,” he said.
Ojo argued that hardship under President Bola Tinubu has eroded support for him in the North.
“The Northern people have never suffered like this in the political history of Nigeria. With that level of suffering, you think they will mobilize to support Tinubu?” he asked.
He dismissed the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC vice presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as a threat to Atiku in the North, saying the former Kano State governor has lost his structure.
“He has lost the governor of Kano, the senators, the House of Assembly. Kwankwaso has no serious political base today. It’s just the Kwankwasiya Movement scattered everywhere,” Ojo said, adding that Kwankwaso is only “formidable in Kano, and maybe a little fraction in Jigawa.”
Predicting fragmentation in the South, Ojo said: “Bola Tinubu lost Lagos. How many South West states did he win? Now there are about 10 presidential candidates from the South and the votes will be divided into 10 places.”
He cited rising insecurity in the South West and questioned if Tinubu can win Oyo against Governor Seyi Makinde or Osun with Rauf Aregbesola as ADC National Secretary.
The former chieftain warned of mass defections within the APC. “There is going to be a lot of betrayals, even among the rank and file of the APC. Tinubu is going to see a lot of betrayals from the Northern angle. I make bold to say that,” he stated.
Ojo rejected zoning, calling it unconstitutional and ineffective. “Federal character is not working. Zoning is just by mutual agreement. At this point I believe in ‘contractocracy’ — the best material,” he said.
He cited examples from Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and the present administration to argue that zoning has failed to deliver good governance, jobs, or security.
Backing Atiku, Ojo aligned with Obasanjo’s position that Nigeria needs him to “bring the change we are yearning for.”
He credited Atiku as Vice President and head of the National Economic Council with the telecoms revolution, debt relief, and bringing in technocrats like Nuhu Ribadu, Nasir El-Rufai, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Oby Ezekwesili and Chukwuma Soludo.
“Among those contesting now, he is the only one with the experience and pedigree. It was his economic team that brought MTN, Glo, Airtel. Instead of borrowing, our debts were written off,” Ojo said.