Rufai Oseni, a prominent anchor on Arise News, has sharply criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, labeling his behavior as deeply hypocritical. During a segment on Arise Television, Oseni argued that Atiku embraces the principle of zoning only when it works in his favor but quickly dismisses it when the circumstances shift against him.
Oseni pointed to Atiku’s past actions, recalling how the former VP took legal action against then-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 to enforce the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) zoning formula. He questioned why Atiku now calls zoning self-defeating when it doesn’t align with his ambitions. Oseni noted that courts, while declining to rule on the matter, acknowledged the existence of zoning agreements within the PDP during those litigations.
The anchor further referenced Atiku’s departure from former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007, suggesting that Atiku’s stance on zoning has been inconsistent over the years. Oseni’s commentary comes as Nigeria gears up for the 2027 general elections, with zoning emerging as a contentious issue among political contenders.