The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the decision was reached on Monday during the party’s 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja.
The resolution followed the adoption of the report of the Zoning Committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the NEC also endorsed the retention of the current zoning arrangement of the National Working Committee (NWC) ahead of the party’s elective convention in November.
According to him, NEC expressed satisfaction with the level of preparations for the convention, adding that the decision on zoning was in line with the party’s established principles of power rotation.
“Since the position of National Chairman is zoned to the North, the 2027 presidential ticket is hereby zoned to the South,” Ologunagba announced.
Part of the communique released at the end of the meeting reads:
“NEC received and after extensive deliberation approved the report of the National Convention Zoning Committee which recommended as follows:
“(a)That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Northern Region of the country remain in the Northern Region.
“(b)That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Southern Region of the country remain in the Southern Region.
“(c)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.
“(d)That the Regions should immediately micro-zone positions within its Region for implementation.”
As earlier reported, sources within the party had hinted that the Zoning Committee has recommended the retention of the current arrangement, allowing both the North and South to keep their existing positions.
The report revealed that the South has already micro-zoned its allotted positions to its three geopolitical zones, while the North will conclude its own sharing formula after today’s meeting.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held in Lagos last Thursday, southern leaders distributed the positions allocated to their region. Under the arrangement, the South-South secured the Deputy National Chairman and National Publicity Secretary; the South-West took the National Secretary and National Auditor; while the South-East got the Deputy National Secretary and Financial Secretary.
It was further gathered that the National Secretary slot was micro-zoned to Oyo State, reportedly due to the influence of Governor Seyi Makinde, while Akwa Ibom State picked the Publicity Secretary position.
