Byline: Politics Desk, IDNN
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region, a decision that reshapes the country’s political map and positions former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Anambra governor Peter Obi as leading contenders.
The resolution, ratified by the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, also confirmed Iliya Umar Damagum as the substantive national chairman. With the chairmanship retained in the North, the party’s top seat has been set aside for the South, in what analysts call a critical recalibration after its bruising 2023 defeat.
Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, chair of the PDP zoning committee, presented the report to NEC, recommending that all current national offices remain in their regions but with micro-zoning to be handled internally. “With the North retaining the chairmanship, the presidential candidate of the PDP for the 2027 elections is hereby zoned to the South,” NEC spokesman Debo Ologunagba told reporters.
Jonathan and Obi in Focus
For Jonathan, who has faced sustained pressure from his loyalists to re-enter the race, the NEC’s decision effectively removes the biggest constitutional obstacle to his candidacy. With only one term available under the law, some party figures believe he is the most acceptable compromise to northern power brokers.
Obi, meanwhile, has kept his cards close after splitting between the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a Labour Party faction. His supporters argue that only the PDP can provide the national platform needed to channel his broad grassroots and digital following. The zoning decision strengthens those pushing him towards a return to the PDP fold.
Atiku Blocked, Wike Vindicated
The zoning outcome sidelines former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a veteran northern aspirant. The party’s communiqué condemned what it called the ruling APC’s “state capture” tactics in recent by-elections, pledging to “rescue Nigeria in 2027.”
In a related reaction, Nyesom Wike’s aide Lere Olayinka declared the former Rivers governor vindicated. He recalled that Wike and the G-5 governors insisted in 2022 that the chairmanship and presidential ticket must not remain in the same zone, a battle that split the party and contributed to its electoral collapse.
“Now the PDP has admitted its error and returned to the G-5’s position three years later,” Olayinka said.
Convention in Ibadan
The party’s NEC also endorsed Ibadan as host of its 2025 national convention, scheduled for November 15–16. Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed warned that aggrieved members were working with security operatives to scuttle the gathering. “We must remain vigilant, but we will surmount all odds to ensure PDP emerges as Nigeria’s rescue vehicle,” he said.
Damagum, who replaced Iyorchia Ayu after a court ruling, was confirmed as substantive national chairman. Accepting the role, he stressed: “No individual or faction is bigger than the party. I will work to unite and lift PDP.”
Almost all PDP governors attended the NEC except Plateau’s Caleb Mutfwang, on official visit to Brazil with President Bola Tinubu, and Enugu’s Peter Mbah, who hosted the Nigerian Bar Association’s conference.
With the NEC adjourned to October 15, the battle lines for 2027 are clearer: Jonathan and Obi stand at the frontline of a southern push, while Atiku’s northern bloc faces diminishing options.
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