Comrade Timi Frank, a former deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and prominent activist, has warned the African Democratic Congress (ADC)-led opposition coalition against zoning the 2027 presidential ticket exclusively to the South, cautioning that such a move could fracture the coalition and alienate key blocs across the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, Frank urged coalition leaders to prioritise rescuing Nigeria over regional politics or zoning arrangements.
“The coalition must remain focused on rescuing Nigeria, not zoning. Any attempt to exclude a region from the race will result in a stillbirth for this movement,” he said.
While commending the ADC coalition’s efforts at uniting opposition forces ahead of the 2027 elections, Frank condemned what he described as “selfish agitations” for a southern-only candidacy.
“Nigeria needs a president for all Nigerians, not a northern or southern president. What matters is capacity, credibility, and general acceptability not geography,” he added.
The Bayelsa-born political activist warned that such regional posturing could damage the credibility of the coalition and portray members from other zones as mere “political tools,” which he said is unacceptable.
“If a northern candidate wins the primaries, fine. If it’s a southern candidate, also fine. But the process must be open, free, and fair, with no group excluded,” he stated.
Frank rejected the argument that zoning the 2027 presidency to the South would balance national power, arguing that the region has already produced presidents for 18 of the 26 years since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, compared to the North’s 10 years.
He called on the ADC coalition leadership to adopt a transparent and inclusive process for selecting its presidential flagbearer, stressing that competence, character, and capacity should be the overriding criteria.
“Nigerians need leadership, not tribalism or religious bias. The coalition must rise above ethnic blackmail and focus on delivery,” he concluded.
