The national executive committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned the presidential ticket for the 2027 election to the south.
Party leaders reached the decision during the NEC meeting held in Abuja on Monday.
Presenting a communiqué issued after the meeting, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP spokesperson, said NEC approved recommendations of the zoning committee after “extensive” deliberation.
He explained that the current zoning arrangement for NWC positions would remain in place for the national convention in November to elect a new national working committee (NWC).
“That all PDP national office positions currently in the northern region of the country remain in the northern region,” he said.
“That all PDP national office positions currently in the southern region of the country remain in the southern region.
“That having retained the position of the national chairman in the northern region of the country, the presidential candidate of the party for the 2027 general election is hereby zoned to the southern region.
“That the regions should immediately micro-zone positions within its region for implementation.”
The NEC expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness across the party’s organs, chapters, and structures for the 2025 elective national convention, which is scheduled to take place in Ibadan, Oyo state, on November 15 and 16.
It also received updates from the PDP constitution amendment committee and directed the committee to circulate the draft to various organs and chapters of the party for further inputs.
The NEC claimed that last week’s bye-election was fraught with vote-buying, intimidation, and heavy deployment of security personnel.
“The NEC condemns the resort by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to State Capture through state-backed intimidation, manipulation, inducement, coercion and violence against Nigerians as witnessed in APC’s muzzling of the recent bye-elections in parts of the country,” the communiqué reads.
“NEC particularly expressed dismay and condemned the militarisation of the recent by-elections, especially in Kaduna and Taraba states as well as Zamfara state, where excessive security agencies were deployed to conduct the run-off election in only five polling units in Kaura Namoda south state constituency.
“NEC declares that this action by the APC is a confirmation of APC’s desire to turn our country into a totalitarian one-party state which is a clear and present danger to democracy and the corporate existence of our country.”
