2027: PDP Zones Ticket to the South

The People’s Democratic Party has announced its decision to zone its presidential ticket for the 2027 election season to the South. The party reached this decision at her 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and could open the door for several prominent Southerners, including Oyo state governor Seyi Makinde, former Benue state governor Samuel Ortom, ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and Peter Obi, who some party members have urged to return to the PDP.

Reading the communiqué yesterday, Debo Ologunagba, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, stated that the NEC has recommended that the North retain all the national office positions currently held by the party, with the same directive for the South. Ologunagba then stated that the Presidential candidacy of the party for the 2027 general election has now been zoned to the Southern region. In addition, he said NEC has ratified the appointment of Umar Damagum as the party’s National Chairman.

Ologunagba criticised the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), of the state capture through state-backed intimidation, manipulation, inducement, coercion and violence in the recent bye-elections. He also accused the party of leading Nigeria towards a totalitarian One-Party state and reassured Nigerians of the PDP’s commitment to democracy and the well-being of the country.

The recent decision by the PDP signifies the party’s move to return to its roots. Since its creation, the party had always been a strong proponent of zoning until some party members became aggrieved following the emergence of Goodluck Jonathan as the presidential candidate in the 2015 election, in place of a  Northerner. This led to the defection of several party members, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. The final blow to the party came ahead of the 2023 presidential election when the presidential ticket was to be zoned to the South, following the North’s eight years in power. However, Atiku Abubakar emerged as the party’s presidential candidate, causing a series of defections and internal disagreements.

Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, said that the decision by the PDP has vindicated the position Wike and the G5 governors took in 2022 to protest the decision of having the presidential candidate and the National Chairman from the same region. Olayinka commented that the current decision by the party has come too late.

Amid preparations for the 2027 elections, there have been speculations that former president Goodluck Jonathan, a member of the PDP,  may contest for the presidency. Earlier this month, a close ally of the former president revealed that Jonathan had accepted the offer to run and met with former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), to share his intentions. However, there has been no formal declaration by the former president. 

The recent developments have set the ball rolling ahead of the party’s primaries scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State. 

Opposition Reactions

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, has disregarded the comments of the PDP. Morka described the remarks as “odiferous hypocrisy” and called the opposition party a “shadow of its old self,” urging the party to fix its “terminally ailing structure.” 

Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar, now a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, has also declared his intention to run for the party’s presidential primaries and his willingness to support anyone who emerges as the winner of the party’s primaries. Atiku is set to face other presidential aspirants, Chibuike Amaechi and Peter Obi, who are also members of the coalition.

Peter Obi has not publicly declared intentions to run for the presidency under the ADC or the Labour Party. His former running mate for the 2023 elections, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has called on Obi to return to the Labour Party to contest for the 2027 election, dismissing  the coalition  as a tactic to “deceive Nigerians.”