Abuja In a bid to strengthen its chances ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned its presidential ticket to the South.
The decision, reached after a series of reconciliatory meetings by PDP governors, the National Caucus and the National Working Committee (NWC), is seen as a corrective step following the 2023 polls, when the party left its ticket open, producing both a northern presidential candidate and national chairman—a development many leaders blamed for its electoral defeat and lingering internal crises.
The party also confirmed Amb. Iliya Umar Damagum, who has been acting national chairman, as substantive chairman until December 2025, thereby retaining the zoning arrangement that cedes the chairmanship to the North.
The meetings, which were at times heated, saw disagreements over preparations for the November national convention in Ibadan, with reports that National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, initially declined to sign the invitation letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, the letter has now been endorsed by NWC members and Anyanwu.
Party stakeholders further assured that governors Peter Mbah (Enugu), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) and Agbu Kefas (Taraba) would remain with the PDP despite speculations of defection.
Absent from the NEC meeting was FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, whose aide, Lere Olayinka, described the zoning decision as “too late.”
Meanwhile, the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, cautioned that zoning alone would not deliver victory in 2027. Represented by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Wabara urged unity, sacrifice, and inclusivity, stressing that only a collective effort could position the PDP to unseat the ruling APC, which, according to party leaders, may not ensure a level playing field.
The NEC meeting, the 102nd in the party’s history, also reviewed preparations for the convention as PDP begins early groundwork for the 2027 presidential race.
