In a scathing critique of Nigeria’s prevailing political order, Chief Handel Okoli, a former Special Assistant to late former Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has tackled the political elite over what he termed a fundamental distortion of Nigeria’s geopolitical framework.
In a press statement issued on October 21, 2026—marking what would have been Dr. Ekwueme’s 94th birthday—Okoli called out the hypocrisy of political actors who have replaced the inclusive six-geopolitical-zone rotation model with a reductive North–South binary that disenfranchises key regions while claiming to maintain national balance.
By News Desk October 21, 2026
ABUJA — When Nigeria’s former Vice President, the late Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, introduced the six-geopolitical-zone architecture during the 1994–1995 Constitutional Conference, his vision was clear: to end the existential, winner-takes-all struggle for power by guaranteeing equitable political access across all six distinct regions.
Three decades later, that egalitarian framework has been hijacked and converted into a convenient North–South duopoly—a practice Chief Handel Okoli describes as a profound “distortion” of its founding intent.
The Great Distortions: From Inclusivity to Binary Monopoly
The six geopolitical zones—North-Central, North-East, North-West, South-East, South-South, and South-West—were designed as constitutional building blocks to protect minority interests and ensure no single group monopolized power.
Instead, Nigeria’s political class across major parties—including the Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)—has consistently retreated into a simplified North–South rotation scheme.
In his statement, Okoli highlights the core hypocrisy of this practice:
“Let me state clearly, for the avoidance of doubt, that the current practice of zoning or rotating the presidency between the North and the South does not adequately reflect the essence and significance of Dr. Ekwueme’s six-geopolitical-zone approach.
A North–South arrangement, in my view, falls short of the more inclusive vision underpinning the six-zonal framework. By reducing Nigeria’s complex geopolitical structure to two broad blocs, it risks overlooking the distinct identities, interests, and aspirations of the six geopolitical zones.”
Exposing the Myth of Homogeneity
A central flaw of the North–South rotation scheme is its false premise that the “North” and “South” are monoliths.
Under the North–South setup:
- In the North: Power often rotates back to dominant power bases in the North-West, repeatedly sidelining the North-Central and North-East zones.
- In the South: Broad regional calculations permit power to concentrate within specific sub-regions, compromising equitable access for zones like the South-East.
As Okoli noted, neither broad bloc reflects unified political desires:
“The North and the South are not homogeneous political entities. Each comprises distinct geopolitical zones with their own histories, interests, concerns, and expectations. A system that recognises only two broad blocs may provide a measure of regional balance, but it does not necessarily guarantee equitable participation by all six zones.”
Complicity of the Beneficiaries
Perhaps the most damaging critique leveled by Okoli is aimed at political elites from marginalized zones who actively participate in maintaining this binary system for short-term political gain.
Rather than demanding full implementation of a true six-zone rotation, political leaders from disadvantaged regions routinely endorse North–South arrangements, settling for secondary political appointments while trading away their zones’ legitimate claim to the highest office in the land.
“Most unfortunately, those who appear to have acquiesced in this arrangement include some of the very people for whose protection and political inclusion Dr. Ekwueme’s prescriptions were designed.”
Background: The Origin of the Six-Zonal Framework
| Historical Context | Details |
|---|---|
| Originator | Dr. Alex Ekwueme (alongside contributions from Chief Bisi Onabanjo during their political internment). |
| Platform | Proposed during the 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference under General Sani Abacha. |
| Core Objective | To transform federal character and power sharing into a structural guarantee so that power would rotate equitably among all six zones. |
| Current Practice | Political parties routinely substitute the 6-zone rotation with a 2-bloc (North vs. South) rotation, allowing power to cluster in specific dominant sub-regions. |
A Call to Reclaim the Original Vision
As Nigeria looks ahead, Okoli’s statement serves as a stark reminder that true national unity cannot be built on superficial compromises. Convening power around two broad regions may satisfy political deals in national conventions, but it shortchanges millions of Nigerians whose zonal identities are erased in the process.
Until political parties align their internal constitutions with a genuine six-zonal rotation model, the promise of Dr. Alex Ekwueme’s vision—a federation where every zone holds an equal stake in the presidency—remains unfulfilled.
