The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region of Nigeria. This decision was announced on Monday following the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja.
PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, made the announcement while addressing journalists after the meeting. He said the decision followed the recommendation of the party’s Zoning Committee, which was led by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.
“In line with the recommendation of the Zoning Committee, the PDP has resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South,” Ologunagba stated.
The move is seen as part of the PDP’s efforts to promote fairness and balance between the North and South, especially as political activities begin to build up ahead of the next general elections.
This decision also means the party is maintaining the tradition of rotating key political positions between the country’s two main regions — a principle often used to promote national unity and inclusion in Nigeria’s complex political landscape.
The NEC also resolved to retain the existing zoning arrangement for the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) positions ahead of the elective national convention scheduled for November.
“NEC recommended that the North and South should retain their current NWC positions,” Ologunagba said, adding that this decision was taken to ensure stability within the party’s leadership structure.
Under the current arrangement, the PDP National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, who hails from the North, remains in his position. With the chairmanship zoned to the North, the presidential ticket naturally shifts to the South, in line with the party’s zoning tradition.
This zoning formula aligns with the PDP’s internal power-sharing agreement aimed at preventing domination by any single region and ensuring broader representation across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The PDP lost the 2023 presidential election to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is from the South-West. The PDP candidate at the time, Atiku Abubakar, is from the North-East.
Many within and outside the party have argued that fielding a southern candidate in 2027 could help rebuild trust with voters in the South, some of whom felt sidelined during the last election cycle.
The NEC meeting also discussed preparations for the upcoming convention, party unity, and the state of the nation. Leaders present reaffirmed their commitment to providing strong opposition and holding the ruling APC accountable.
With this latest development, attention will now turn to which southern politician the PDP will present as its presidential flagbearer for 2027 — a decision likely to spark interest and debate across party lines and regions.
