Saraki Rules Out 2027 Presidential Bid, Backs Southern Zoning

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki has declared that he will not be contesting the presidency in 2027, citing the need to allow the South to complete its eight-year tenure at the helm of the country’s leadership.

Saraki stated this on Thursday while fielding questions during an interview on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.

The former Kwara State governor disclosed that he was among those who canvassed for the Peoples Democratic Party to zone its presidential ticket to the South ahead of the 2027 general election.

“I think it is only fair to allow the South to complete its eight years. I was one of those that supported that PDP should zone the presidency to the South in 2027,” he said.

 

Saraki recalled that at a meeting held to deliberate on the party’s zoning arrangement for the 2027 election, members resolved that the presidency should go to the South, a decision he said he fully endorsed.

“When the party met last year to discuss what it should do about zoning of the presidency, I was one of those that supported that the party should zone the presidency to the South in 2027, and to align with that and abide by the party decision,” he added.

The former Senate President noted that the situation in 2027 differed from that of 2023, when the party threw its presidential ticket open to aspirants from any part of the country.

“Remember, in 2023 the final decision of the party was that candidates could come from anywhere. But in the meeting we held about the 2027 election, we said the presidency should come from the South,” he said.

Saraki stressed that his commitment to the party’s position on zoning had effectively put paid to any ambition he might have harboured for the 2027 presidential race.

“I abide by that, and as such, ruled out the issue of me wanting to contest in 2027,” he said.