Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, opposition is gathering against plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone the party’s presidential ticket to the southern part of the country.
The opposition is driven by calls for the party to focus on producing a competent candidate through ensuring all credible aspirants contest for the presidential ticket.
Although the PDP has not formally taken a position, feelers are that the party would give its ticket to the south in a bid to match the All Progressives Congress (APC) power rotation design.
Former minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana, had, at a gathering organised by founding fathers of the party, hinted that the party is ready to zone the ticket to the south.
His position also enjoys the backing of some party leaders, especially the camp of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, even though they have pledged to support APC’s Bola Tinubu in 2027.
But a former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has opposed plans to zone the PDP presidential ticket.
Olawepo-Hashim, a founding member of the PDP, said the race should be thrown open so that the best candidate will emerge.
In April this year, PDP set up a national convention zoning committee led by Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, ahead of the national convention in November.
In the past it was a given that the region where the national chairman is zoned to would decide where the presidential ticket will go. But that was not the case in 2023, where after the North produce national chairman, the presidential ticket was still thrown open to all contestants.
However, the current zoning debate comes after the former Vice President and PDP’s former presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his camp left the party.
Moreso, the zoning talks are said to be used as a means to woo former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, back to the party.
Reacting however, a party chieftain and convener of Christian and Muslim Youth Leaders’ Forum (CMYLF), Dr. Ekiye Ekiye, opposed PDP’s plan to zone the presidential ticket, saying it is unconstitutional.
Ekiye, in an interview with LEADERSHIP in Jos, the Plateau State capital, said if zoning is adopted, it will kill the ambition of competent individuals who want to contest for elective positions to provide good governance to the electorate.
“Democracy is a school. Zoning will alienate competent persons from governance. The best is to allow open contests for all aspirants. This will also strengthen internal democracy,” he said.
He further stressed “Zoning or automatic ticket is an unconstitutional and anti-democratic process that can alienate genuine political office seekers from participating in the electoral process.
“Zoning should not take the place of the constitution. Zoning will produce political office holders who are only interested in pleasing their masters and not the masses.
“Let those who are card-carrying members of PDP from the wards, units, LG, down to states level go to the convention arena to decide who should be their presidential flag-bearer by election. It should be keenly contested to pick the best,” he argued.
Similarly, the coordinator of Gbenga Hashim Vanguard North West, Hon Aminu Bala Wudilawa, told PDP to reject blackmail and pressures to hand over the party’s presidential ticket to any regional political warlord under the pretext of zoning or power rotation.
Aminu said that zoning has done enough damage to Nigeria’s national psychology, noting that democracy is about popular choice, not turn by turn.
Aminu said only a candidate with genuine national appeal and orientation, capable of winning significant votes in both the North and South can deliver victory to the PDP in 2027.
“Any candidate that cannot win an open, competitive primary by building national consensus has no chance of winning the general election,” he said.
He also dismissed the often repeated claim that the PDP presidential ticket in 1999 was zoned to the South, clarifying that General Olusegun Obasanjo emerged not by zoning, but by his strong reputation for national unity following military rule.
“Opportunistic politicians often distort history, but the truth is that Obasanjo was chosen in 1999 because of his commitment to the unity of Nigeria,” he said.
Aminu described Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the ideal candidate who embodies the values, competence, and character required to lead Nigeria at this critical juncture.
“Liberal and patriotic forces in the North are rallying around Gbenga Hashim not because of political sentiment, but because of his broad national appeal, integrity, and long standing commitment to democracy and unity,” he said. “He is a candidate both the North and South can trust.”
He noted that in the past eight years, no aspirant across PDP or APC has demonstrated deeper insight into national security and economic reform than Gbenga Hashim.
Meanwhile, the PDP chairman in Plateau State, Hon. Christ Hassan, told LEADERSHIP that a committee on zoning was constituted during the last NEC meeting to handle the sensitive matter.
According to him, “If I tell you anything now I will be preempting the outcome of the committee. Let us wait to receive their report.”
While noting that the committee will do justice to zoning issues, he added that the NEC’s decision as the highest decision making body of the party, will be final.
“So if I say anything now, I am only pre-empting the decision of the committee for that assignment” he said.
Similarly, the PDP in Bauchi State said the unity among party members across all regions will ensure that any decision reached by the party’s leadership on zoning of the presidential ticket will be accepted in good faith.
The PDP state publicity secretary, Dr. Dayyabu Chiroma, told LEADERSHIP that the party has the administrative capacity and experience to handle internal matters in an organised and strategic manner.
“As one of the largest parties in sub-Saharan Africa, PDP has the capacity to manage issues like zoning in a way that carries everyone along. When you talk about zoning, it’s about inclusiveness and national balance,” he said.
Chiroma noted that PDP members would support any decision made by the party’s national leadership, whether the presidential ticket is zoned to the North or Southern region of the country.
“And what I perceived I believe there is every indication that the party may zone the presidential ticket to the South. When you observe those currently vying for the position of national chairman, none of them is from the Southern region. This is a possible signal that the presidential ticket could be zoned to the Southern part of the country,” he explained.
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