ABUJA — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed suggestions that zoning its 2027 presidential ticket to the South was intended to favour the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, made the clarification on Wednesday while speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show.
Ologunagba explained that the decision was aimed at maintaining stability, strengthening the party, and preserving its founding principle of rotating the presidency between the North and South.
“No one individual is vindicated. If anything, the PDP has been vindicated,” he said. “After the 2023 elections, we reviewed our processes, identified the gaps, and made the necessary adjustments. That is why Nigerians are now seeing renewed unity and excitement within the PDP.”
He rejected claims that the PDP was in crisis, insisting that the party had only faced challenges common to any organisation.
“The party was never in the ICU. Do we have challenges? Yes, but the PDP has the capacity to step back, reorganise itself, and take charge of its internal affairs,” he said.
The PDP spokesman added that the zoning decision was endorsed by all key organs of the party, including the National Executive Committee (NEC), Board of Trustees (BoT), Governors’ Forum, and state chapters.
“The NEC, after all consultations, decided to maintain stability by keeping positions in the North where they are, retaining positions in the South where they are, and zoning the presidency to the South. This was about fairness and unity, not glorifying an individual,” he stressed.
He also responded to dissenting voices, including the North Central Renaissance Movement and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro. He maintained that internal disagreements would not derail the PDP’s preparations for 2027.
“The beauty of democracy is that people can disagree, but what matters is the capacity of the party to bring everyone back to the table,” he said.
Looking ahead, he confirmed that preparations were underway for the party’s national convention scheduled for November 15–16, 2025, in Ibadan.
