“The President Can Come From Anywhere in 2027” — Timi Frank Warns ADC Coalition Against Regional Bias

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has called on the coalition of opposition leaders rallying around the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to remain focused on their goal of unseating President Bola Tinubu in 2027. In a statement released in Abuja on Monday, Frank warned that any move to sideline any region of the country in the selection of a presidential candidate could derail the coalition’s efforts.

Frank emphasized that Nigeria’s next president should be chosen based on competence and compassion, not ethnic or regional considerations. He urged coalition leaders to resist internal distractions and stay committed to fielding a candidate capable of restoring Nigeria’s global image and delivering progressive governance.

“Nigeria needs a president for all Nigerians, not a president for northern or southern Nigeria,” Frank said. “For 2027, the president can come from anywhere, whether north or south. Let the Nigerian electorate vote their choice, whether from north, south, east, or west.”

Rejecting calls to bar aspirants from any particular region, Frank stated that both northern and southern candidates should be free to contest, so long as they meet the aspirations of Nigerians. “If it is a Northern aspirant that will give Nigerians the type of president we are looking for in Nigeria, let that aspirant run. If it is a Southern aspirant that will give Nigerians progressive governance, let that aspirant contest,” he added. He cautioned southern leaders against insisting on a so-called Southern presidency, saying such agitation could fragment the movement.

Frank’s remarks come after a high-profile show of support for the ADC from key opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-governors Rotimi Amaechi and Nasir El-Rufai, and former Senate President David Mark. Meanwhile, Dumebi Kachikwu, the ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, has claimed the coalition’s true aim is to pave the way for Atiku’s emergence as the consensus flagbearer.