Southern leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have resolved to retain the party’s national chairmanship in the North while insisting that the presidency must remain in the South.
This decision was the highlight of the PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit held in Lagos on Wednesday.
The closed-door meeting, which lasted about an hour, was attended by Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Enugu State Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai (representing Governor Peter Mbah), and the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara.
Also in attendance were several party heavyweights, including former Deputy National Chairman Chief Olabode George; ex-governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom); former Oyo Speaker Jumoke Akinjide; Dr. Ali Odefa; Chief Emma Ogidi; Hon. Nnena Ukeje; and Dr. Eddy Olafeso.
At the meeting, stakeholders agreed that the chairmanship position of the party should remain in the North, while the presidential ticket is retained in the South. However, divisions persisted over micro-zoning of the presidency among the South-West, South-South and South-East.
“Our position is that the presidency remains in the South while chairmanship remains in the North. The only issue is micro-zoning, but the majority opinion is against reopening that debate,” a source at the meeting said.
Briefing journalists afterwards, Governor Makinde explained that the resolutions would be presented to the National Executive Committee (NEC) on Monday, noting that wider consultations would continue in the days ahead.
“There is nothing wrong in consulting,” Makinde said. “Democracy is about the minority having their say and the majority having their way. The South has taken far-reaching decisions, and in the days ahead, wider consultations will also take place.”
Although former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his allies dismissed the Lagos meeting as “illegal,” Makinde maintained that the gathering was legitimate and representative. He pointed out that 12 out of the 17 southern states were represented by zoning committee members, along with senators, House members, BoT members, and other senior stakeholders.
Another party leader confirmed that the southern bloc was united on the broad zoning arrangement.
“The presidency must remain in the South, while chairmanship stays in the North. That is the position we will take to NEC.”
The zoning decision comes ahead of the party’s national convention scheduled for November 15–16 in Ibadan, where new members of the National Working Committee (NWC) will emerge to replace the Damagum-led leadership.
