Alhaji Sani Yusuf Yabagi, the presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the 2023 general elections, has expressed skepticism about the chances of a northern candidate winning widespread support in the South during the 2027 presidential election.
In an interview with THE SUN published on Saturday, October 25, 2025, Yabagi emphasized that Nigeria’s political history and regional sentiments play a decisive role in shaping voter behavior. He pointed out that many southern voters may feel it is only fair for the South to complete its own eight-year presidential cycle, just as the North did under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Yabagi explained that while politics is unpredictable, the emotional and historical weight of regional equity will likely influence voting patterns. He suggested that it would be difficult to convince southern voters to support a northern candidate, given the recent power shift to the South.
Yabagi said,
“I don’t know how you are going to convince a southerner in the 2027 elections to vote for a northern candidate; I don’t know what you are going to tell them. They will tell you that the north had eight years with Buhari.”