RismadarVoice Reporters, June 10, 2026
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was among political leaders who supported the adoption of rotational presidency in Nigeria following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Akume clarified on Tuesday during a World Press Conference in Abuja held as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 27th Democracy Day anniversary.
According to a statement issued by his media aide, Yomi Odunuga, the SGF recalled that leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met in Kaduna under the leadership of the late Chief Solomon Lar and Alhaji Adamu Ciroma to discuss Nigeria’s political future after the annulled election won by late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola.
Akume said the meeting resulted in an agreement to rotate the presidency between the North and South as a way of promoting national unity and addressing the political tensions created by the annulment.
“It was a tough argument before the issue of rotational presidency was agreed on. At the end, we had to concede. We must do this. June 12 annulment had complicated the whole thing. It was finally agreed that we would alternate between North and South. Atiku was one of the leaders at that meeting convened by Chief Solomon Lar. He was part of that agreement,” Akume said.
The SGF noted that the decision to rotate power was intended to strengthen inclusiveness and national cohesion in the country’s democratic process.
His comments come amid renewed debates over power rotation ahead of the 2027 general election, in which Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is expected to challenge President Bola Tinubu, who is seeking a second term in office.
Reflecting on the significance of June 12, Akume described the annulment of the election as a painful setback to Nigeria’s democratic aspirations.
“Abiola won that election round and square. The election was annulled by the military government. It was very painful because the people spoke freely and made their choice,” he said.
Akume said one of the key lessons from the June 12 experience was the supremacy of the people’s will in a democracy.
“The voice of the people must always be supreme. That is the beauty of democracy. We prefer the ballot to bullets,” he stated.
The SGF expressed confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying the country had learned from the events of 1993 and would not allow a repeat of such an annulment.
According to him, officials of the electoral commission are committed to safeguarding the democratic process and ensuring credible elections.
“You win, you win. When you lose, go back and prepare for another election. That is the beauty of democracy,” Akume said.
He added that Nigeria’s 27 years of uninterrupted democratic rule demonstrate the country’s commitment to democracy, the rule of law and freedom of expression.
