The PDP has zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while retaining the chairmanship in the North. The decision comes amid internal divisions and Nyesom Wike’s warning against repeating 2023 mistakes
2027: PDP Zones Presidential Ticket to South, Retains Chairmanship in North
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to zone its presidential ticket to the southern region of Nigeria while retaining the party’s national chairmanship in the North.
The decision was announced after the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, where the NEC also affirmed Umar Damagum as PDP’s substantive National Chairman.
Damagum, who initially stepped in as acting chairman following the suspension of Senator Iyorchia Ayu in March 2023, was confirmed after a court upheld Ayu’s removal.
Zoning has long been a flashpoint in Nigerian politics, and the PDP’s latest move is already generating heated debate. In the last election cycle, the party’s choice to throw its 2023 presidential ticket open paved the way for Atiku Abubakar’s emergence, a decision that split the party and triggered rebellion within its ranks. Former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, openly opposed Atiku’s candidacy and backed President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who ultimately won.
With Tinubu already adopted as APC’s consensus candidate for 2027, PDP insiders believe zoning its ticket to the South may boost its chances. Yet, cracks remain.
In May 2025, Wike—now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and still a PDP heavyweight—warned that zoning the party’s 2027 ticket to the North again would be disastrous.
“As a party, come out openly now and say our presidential candidate will also come from the South. You don’t want to do that; you want to play the same game you played in 2023. It will backfire,” Wike cautioned during a media parley in Abuja.
He argued that if Tinubu wins re-election in 2027, the APC would naturally zone its 2031 ticket to the North, leaving the PDP trapped if it had kept its 2027 slot in the same region.
“The point is that selfishness can kill a system… What kind of smartness is that?” Wike asked.
While the PDP has not yet announced its flagbearer for 2027, the zoning decision sets the stage for a fierce battle within the opposition as it seeks to reclaim power from the APC. Read More
