Reactions Trail PDP’s Zoning of Presidency to South

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sparked mixed reactions after zoning its 2027 presidential ticket to the South. The decision was made during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, where it was resolved that the PDP’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election would come from the Southern region.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed that the decision followed the presentation of a report by the Zoning Committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri. The party also retained the existing National Working Committee zoning formula for the November elective convention.

Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a former presidential candidate and PDP chieftain, faulted the decision, warning that it amounts to an endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s reelection bid. “Zoning the presidency to the south is a default campaign for the return of President Bola Tinubu,” he said. According to him, the decision effectively weakens the PDP’s chances of producing a viable presidential candidate.

On the other hand, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State expressed satisfaction with the resolution, emphasizing that politics should be driven by unity, not personal interest. “We have taken an all-inclusive decision to hold our convention in Ibadan, Oyo state, on November 15, and another NEC meeting on October 15,” he said. He added that the party’s decision to zone the presidential ticket to the south is aimed at promoting sanity, understanding, and unity.

The Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations (JACON) in Kaduna rejected the zoning arrangement, describing it as “anti-democratic, unjust, and a monumental betrayal” of the North. Ambassador Sanin Yaya, JACON’s director of media and public affairs, stated that the decision is not only a grave affront to the principles of fairness and justice but also a monumental betrayal of the massive and unwavering support the North has given the PDP since the inception of the Fourth Republic.

Prof K’tso Nghargbu, a political scholar and leader of the North Central stakeholders agitating for power shift to the region, warned that both the PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) risk electoral defeat in 2027 for shutting out the North. According to him, the zoning arrangement is a recipe for disaster and could lead to the party’s downfall.

Reaction continue to trail the decision amid Nigeria’s keen ethnoreligious geopolitics.