‘Presidential Ticket’s Zoning Will Reduce PDP’s Chances In 2027’

Some leaders of the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a group of supporters of Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim’s presidential ambition, have condemned the party’s decision to zone the presidential ticket to the South, saying it would affect the fortunes of the party in 2027.

As the party has decided to zone the presidential ticket to the South, Olawepo-Hashim, a northern aspirant, vowed to challenge the move at the party’s national convention.

He argued that zoning the party’s presidential ticket either to the North or the South remained unlawful and undemocratic, adding that it would serve the party no good.

Speaking at a news conference yesterday in Lagos, Mr Ola Azeez, a PDP chieftain and state coordinator of the Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim (GOH) Solidarity Movement, said, “the party is on the path of self-defeat again with the zoning.”

According to Azeez, suppressing the ambition of others would breed another round of disenchantment and misgivings in the party, capable of disrupting the unity that is gradually returning into the party fold.

“The zoning issue is causing problems within the party already. This zoning arrangement must be revisited.

“What we should know is that zoning is not in the PDP constitution. We must not allow it to ruin our chances again. Let us win the presidential election first before we talk about zoning arrangements, political offices and other sharing formulas for elective and party positions. This (zoning) should come into play after winning the election of the president.

“We must open the ticket of the party to all aspirants, so as not to cause another mass exodus from the party, just because we are not making our ticket competitive and a fair contest.

“We respect our national leaders and representatives at the national level, but that does not mean they should impose their ideas of exclusion on us,” the coordinator said.

According to him, for the 16 years that the PDP ruled the country, the South had over 14 years while the North, where most votes came from, only had two years.

“If the PDP allows the zoning of presidential tickets to the South to stand, that means we are shutting out the North and it can be dangerous.

“Why shut them out? That is unfair. It (the party’s presidential ticket) should be thrown open, let the party members/ delegates decide who they want.

“It is very dangerous for the party to shut out 19 states of the country from participating in the presidential election,” Azeez, the PDP vice chairman in Ojo local government, added.