Atiku made the statement during an interview on Arise Television, where he spoke on zoning, fairness, and political balance in the country.

He noted that since Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999, the South has held the presidency for about 18 years, while the North has governed for roughly 10 years.

According to him, this should be taken into account when discussing which region has benefited more from the country’s power rotation system. He also maintained that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains the only major political party with zoning clearly embedded in its constitution.

“The South has governed for 18 years and the North for 10. So who is really in deficit if we are being fair? Even more broadly, the only party with zoning formally entrenched is the PDP,” he said.

Atiku also recalled the constitutional conference held during the military era under General Sani Abacha, where he led a group that opposed the inclusion of rotational presidency in the constitution.

He said the proposal, championed by the late former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, was rejected at the time because his group had majority support among delegates.

According to him, Ekwueme later acknowledged that the decision may not have been ideal during his funeral years later. Atiku added that he now believes a rotational system, if adopted earlier, could have ensured a more balanced distribution of power across Nigeria’s regions.