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The debate over political succession ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections has taken another turn, with the head of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Professor Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, asking Peter Obi to drop his presidential ambition and support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
Ike-Muonso made the appeal at an interactive session in Abuja on Monday, arguing that the southern region should retain the presidency for another four years before power shifts back to the North.
He said Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, should consider putting his political ambition on hold and explore ways to contribute to national development through cooperation with the incumbent administration.
The RMRDC chief also proposed that the former Anambra State governor join the All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that doing so would give him an opportunity to participate in the ruling party’s policy discussions and development programmes.
According to Ike-Muonso, Obi has established a strong political following and helped draw public attention to accountability, government spending and economic management. However, he maintained that political influence could also be used to build alliances and support policies outside an immediate presidential contest.
He based his argument partly on Nigeria’s informal power-sharing tradition between the North and South, which has influenced political negotiations since the country returned to democratic rule in 1999. He acknowledged, however, that the Constitution does not make presidential zoning compulsory.
Beyond the electoral debate, Ike-Muonso highlighted the need to transform Nigeria’s economy by increasing domestic manufacturing and reducing dependence on imported raw materials. He said the RMRDC was pursuing policies designed to encourage local processing, attract investment and create employment.
Among the council’s proposals is a legislative framework requiring at least 30 per cent value addition to certain raw materials before export. The council is also working to identify resources across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas to support the establishment of processing plants and industrial clusters.
He argued that political leadership should be accompanied by long-term economic planning, stressing that cooperation between federal and state governments would be necessary to strengthen local industries and sustain development beyond election periods.
