Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has announced that he will not contest Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, stating that he supports the continuation of the presidency in the southern region in line with political zoning arrangements.
Saraki made the disclosure on Thursday during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television, monitored by 9News Nigeria, where he clarified his position regarding the next presidential race.
Responding to questions about his political ambitions, the former Senate President admitted he has long nurtured the aspiration to lead the country but explained that considerations of fairness and party consensus influenced his decision to step aside.
“I won’t deny that I have the ambition,” Saraki said. “However, after Nigerians elected President Bola Tinubu from the South in 2023, it became important to allow the region complete its eight-year tenure.”
He added that during internal consultations within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last year, he supported the position that the party should zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
“To respect that decision, I have ruled myself out of the contest,” he stated.
Speaking further on the party’s stance ahead of the 2027 elections, Saraki explained that the PDP’s earlier position before the 2023 general election permitted aspirants from all regions to compete for the presidential ticket. According to him, this informed his support at the time for the party’s eventual candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
He also addressed the broader debate around power rotation between the North and South, noting that historical patterns of leadership show the South has spent more years in the presidency than the North.
“If you look at the numbers carefully, the North has actually had fewer years in power than the South,” he said, adding that the PDP’s present zoning direction reflects political realities following the last election cycle.
Turning to developments in Kwara State, the former governor said his recent political engagements were motivated by concerns over the welfare of residents and the direction of governance in the state.
Saraki expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as worsening hardship and insecurity, noting that many citizens had not experienced the level of governance they expected.
“It’s not about winning Kwara at all costs,” he said. “But being close to the people, I have seen the challenges they are facing and the mistakes that have been made.”
He maintained that, as a senior political figure in the state, he considers it his responsibility to contribute toward improving governance through the PDP and its candidates.
The former Senate President also blamed the deteriorating security situation in the state on lapses in local leadership rather than national trends, arguing that conditions were significantly different during his tenure as governor.
“During my time, the situation was not like this,” he said. “Bandits often move to areas where there is weak resistance, and unfortunately Kwara became vulnerable because the government lost focus.”
Saraki has previously pursued the presidency on multiple occasions, including contesting the PDP presidential primaries ahead of the 2023 elections, where he lost to Atiku Abubakar. He also sought the party’s ticket in 2019 and earlier stepped down from the race in 2011 in support of a consensus candidate.
