Ahead of the 2027 polls, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned the party’s presidential slot to the southern part of the country.
The party also insisted that the chairmanship position would be retained by a northerner.
This decision was reached as party leaders held their National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
The NEC also affirmed Umar Damagum as its National Chairman.
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Damagum emerged as acting national chairman in March 2023 after the suspension of a former national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, a decision later upheld by a court.
Before his appointment, Damagum was the PDP National Deputy Chairman (North).
The issue of zoning of the presidential ticket of the party has been a contentious issue in the nation’s political landscape.
Currently, the presidency is occupied by a southerner and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, who was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Tinubu’s party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has unanimously adopted him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
A crisis rocked the party when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, emerged as the PDP candidate in the 2023 presidential election after the party threw its ticket open to.
Displeased by the decision, a former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, pledged his support for Tinubu in the election.
While the PDP has yet to adopt its flagbearer for the next election cycle, Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and PDP chieftain, in May, 2025, warned that zoning the 2027 presidential ticket of the PDP to the North would fail.
He explained that it would not be smart for the opposition party to zone its presidential ticket to the North in 2027 if the ruling APC’s presidential candidate would come from the South.
“As a party, come out openly now (and say) our presidential candidate will also come from the South? You don’t want to do that; you want to play the same game you played in 2023. It will backfire, and when it backfires, you will say these people did this, these people did that.
“I have told people: this smartness will not help you. Come out now and let everybody know this is where we are heading. This is not the time to send the presidency to the North. No,” he said at a media parley in Abuja on May 12.
Speaking further on the issue, Wike added, “The point is that selfishness can kill a system. If Mr President runs, for example, and wins in 2027, by 2031, the APC will zone their presidential ticket to the North. The PDP will do what then?
“Then you’ll come back and say, since the APC has zoned it to the North, let’s keep it in the North. What kind of smartness is that?”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors Forum has declared that the party became more formidable after some of its chieftains left for the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The Forum said those who defected to the ADC engaged in “irresponsible verbal attacks” after realising they had joined a “one-chance vehicle”.
In a statement signed by its Director General, Emmanuel Agbo, the Forum likened ADC defectors to the Biblical prodigal son.
According to the Forum, the defectors’ exit brought peace to the party.
In the statement released on Monday, the PDP governors said the party’s doors are still open to welcome back repentant defectors who show remorse.
“Since their exit, the PDP has become much more formidable and focused, with clear determination to have our eyes on the ball.
“The ADC before now, with their inordinate sense of entitlement, constituted a huge clog to the wheel of national unity and harmony.
“The security situation in the country was of grave concern to the PDP governors, which took centre stage in our deliberation and resolution as contained in the communique.
“That the ADC couldn’t see that much isn’t surprising, as the prodigal son wasn’t known to have any pity on his father’s fortune,” the Forum said.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President David Mark, ex-lawmaker Dino Melaye and several others left the PDP for the ADC – the platform of the opposition coalition.
