The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has thrown its 2027 presidential ticket open to the South, while retaining its national chairmanship in the North — a move party leaders say is designed to steady the opposition and restore balance ahead of the next general elections.
The decision was the highlight of the PDP’s 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held Monday in Abuja. The gathering also settled one of the party’s long-running uncertainties by confirming Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum as substantive national chairman, after two years in acting capacity. He will lead the party until its national convention slated for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the NEC unanimously adopted the zoning committee’s report, which retained all national offices in their current regions while expressly zoning the presidency to the South. Regions were also asked to embark on micro-zoning to ease negotiations ahead of the Ibadan convention.
The party used the platform to slam the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing it of “state capture” and warning against creeping authoritarianism. It cited alleged militarisation and intimidation in recent bye-elections in Kaduna, Taraba, and Zamfara, calling the incidents “a dangerous drift toward one-party rule.”
At the Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting held earlier, Secretary Senator Ahmed Makarfi — standing in for Chairman Adolphus Wabara — urged reconciliation with aggrieved members, stressing that “no political family thrives on endless exclusion.”
Damagum, in his acceptance remarks, called for cohesion and discipline, warning against distractions as Nigeria approaches a decisive election cycle. He also restated PDP’s backing for gender inclusion, recalling the party’s support for the affirmative action bill before the National Assembly.
Zoning committee chairman, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, said the choice of the South was rooted in PDP’s long-standing principle of rotational justice and followed wide consultations with stakeholders across the country.
By the close of the meeting, the NEC declared the party “ready to reclaim power in 2027,” pledging to defend democracy, protect citizens’ welfare, and provide a credible alternative to what it described as APC’s misrule. The next NEC meeting is scheduled for October 15.