Recently, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the Southern Nigeria.
In the 102nd National Executive Committee meeting held on August 25, 2025, the opposition party also retained the existing National Working Committee formula for the forthcoming November elective convention.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed this while addressing journalists shortly after the NEC meeting in Abuja on Monday.
According to Mr. Ologunagba, the decision followed the presentation of a report by the Zoning Committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.
In a communiqué issued by NEC which was read by Ologunagba partly reads thus;“NEC received and after extensive deliberation approved the report of the National Convention Zoning Committee which recommended that all PDP National Office positions currently in the Northern Region of the country remain in the Northern Region.
“That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Southern Region of the country remain in the Southern Region.
“That having retained the position of the National Chairman in the Northern Region of the country, the Presidential Candidate of the Party for the 2027 General Election is hereby zoned to the Southern Region.
“That the Regions should immediately micro-zone positions within its Region for implementation.
“NEC also received an update from the PDP Constitution Amendment Committee and directed the Committee to circulate the Draft Constitution Amendment to various Organs and Chapters of the Party for further inputs.
“NEC condemns the resort by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to State Capture through state-backed intimidation, manipulation, inducement, coercion and violence against Nigerians as witnessed in APC’s muzzling of the recent bye-elections in parts of the country.
“NEC particularly expressed dismay and condemned the militarisation of the recent bye-elections especially in Kaduna and Taraba States as well as Zamfara State where excessive security agencies were deployed in the conduct of the run-off election in only five Polling Units in Kaura Namoda South State Constituency.
“NEC declares that this action by the APC is a confirmation of the APC’s desire to turn our country into a totalitarian One-Party State which is a clear and present danger to democracy and the corporate existence of our country.
“NEC reassures Nigerians of PDP’s commitment to Democracy and the defense of the interest and well-being of all citizens as we work hard to further reposition our Party to regain power in 2027.”
WITHIN NIGERIA findings showed this resolution is said to be different from what was obtained some years ago, especially when the general elections were at hand.
For instance in 2023, the party threw its presidential ticket open, a situation that led to the emergence of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, a situation some analysts said contributed to the losT of the PDP candidate to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
Ologunagba said NEC confirmed Umar Damagum as substantive National Chairman, effective Monday, August 25, 2025, in recognition of his role in stabilizing the party, pending the National Convention.
By and large, since this pronouncement by the PDP, it has continued to generate some mixed reactions across the political spectrum in the country.
This action has opened another round of infighting in the party that has been struggling to find its footing in the political waters it has found itself following persistent defeat in the general elections since 2015 general elections.
The zoning of the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the south has once again opened an opportunity for the former president Goodluck Jonathan and the Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi.
WITHIN NIGERIA investigations showed that while the former president is yet to make his ambition in the 2027 presidential election open, Obi has declared his ambition open, though without mentioning any party affiliation under which he will run.
However, few hours after the resolution, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike described the decision as bolting the door when the wolf is already out.
The Minister, himself a member of the party who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and social media, Lere Olayinka, described as too late, Monday’s decision of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP National Executive Committee NEC.
This was as he said the minister and members of the G-5 have now been vindicated by the position they adopted in 2022.
Labeling the decision as the party going back to its vomit, Olayinka added that the current move by the party is an admission of past mistakes.
In his words,“sadly, they know the truth. Wike simply said, take the chairmanship to the South if you want to gain the presidency, but they said no, they must take the two, and the PDP lost!”
Explaining further he said, “They have realized the mistake they made in 2022 and are correcting it in 2025. But is it not too late already, bearing in mind that the only way the zoning can be justified is for the South to conclude its eight years, while the presidency returns to the North in 2031?” Olayinka concluded.
“Now that the party has realized its mistake of not listening to Wike and the G-5 in 2022, and have chosen to do what they said, three years after, have they not been vindicated now?” Olayinka queried.
“Recall that the FCT Minister and the G-5 had insisted that the presidential candidate of the PDP and its National Chairman must not remain in the same zone, insisting that since Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, from the North had emerged as the presidential candidate, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, also from the North must resign to pave the way for a National Chairman from the South. Ayu, however, insisted on not resigning, with Atiku and his group backing him. Aftermath of this was the electoral misfortune the party suffered in 2023, followed by instability after the elections”, Olayinka said
Nevertheless, frowning at this development, the Northwest coordinator of Gbenga Hashim Vanguard, Hon. Aminu Bala Wudilawa on Thursday, September 4, 2025 rejected the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the south.
Speaking in Kano,Wudilawa faulted the move, describing it as “null and void” and a violation of both the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2022.
Explaining further, he said that, Section 84(3) of the Electoral Act explicitly states that no political party can impose additional conditions on aspirants beyond what is provided for in the constitution.
In his words, “zoning has no legal basis; it is at best a gentleman’s agreement. The constitution guarantees every qualified Nigerian the right to aspire to any office, and PDP cannot take that away”.
The Gbenga Hashim Vanguard chieftain therefore urged northerners with ambition to freely join the race, insisting that the PDP must allow for a level playing field.
The leaders of the Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) in the Southwest have declared their unwavering support for the presidential aspiration of Olawepo-Hashim, vowing to resist what they described as the “unconstitutional zoning error” of the presidency by PDP.
In the same vein, reacting to the development former Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Presidential candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Katchy Ononuju, said the move vindicated their long-standing call for inclusion and equity in governance.
Explaining further, he said Obi was not a personal project, but a tool used to press home the demand that all regions of the country must be carried along.
“This is not about Peter Obi; it is about inclusion and governance. Obi was a tool we used to assert the seriousness of our argument that every region must be represented in the governance of Nigeria,” Ononuju said.
He accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of attempting to undermine the South-East in the party’s previous arrangement.
“Now that they have corrected themselves and zoned the ticket to the South, the PDP has indirectly told Atiku that he was wrong. This action has gone a long way to heal the divisions created by Atiku’s compromising protocol which sidelined the Igbos,” he added.
On his part, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said while the zoning decision was a welcome development, Obi had yet to decide on his political direction.
He disclosed that several parties were in talks with the former Anambra State governor on his political move in the forthcoming 2027 presidential election.
“Politics is dynamic. It is not only the PDP that is seeking Mr Obi’s hand. Many political platforms are reaching out to him. At the right time, Obi will make his decision,” Tanko stated.
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