Ahead of its National Convention slated for Ibadan, the Oyo state capital in November, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Monday, zoned its presidential ticket to the Southern part of Nigeria as a way of leaning towards an age-long agitation by party members and Nigerians.
In the same vein, the party chairmanship position remains in the north.
The part organs have also returned Ambassador Umar Damagum as the substantive chairman of the party pending the Convention, while the 103 NEC has been fixed for the 15th October, 2025.
The decisions according to its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, who addressed the Nigeria media, was the outcome of the ongoing National Executive Committee (NEC).
A Communique issued at the end of the 102nd NEC of the party, expressed satisfaction over the level of preparedness of the party at its various Organs, Chapters and Structures for the 2025 Elective National Convention scheduled for Ibadan on Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th November 2025.
The communique reads further: “NEC acknowledged with satisfaction the efforts and commitment of PDP Governors’ Forum, the Board of Trustees (BoT), the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Assembly Caucus and other relevant bodies of the Party towards the success of the forthcoming 2025 National Convention at Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital.
“NEC received and after extensive deliberation approved the report of the National Convention Zoning Committee which recommended as follows:
“That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Northern Region of the country remain in the Northern Region.
“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.
“NEC also received update from the PDP Constitution Amendment Committee and directed the Committee to circulate the Draft Constitution Amendment to various Organs and Chapters of the Party for further inputs.
“In recognition of the efforts of the National Working Committee (NWC) under the leadership of the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Iliya Umar Damagum in stabilizing the Party, NEC hereby ratifies and confirms the appointment of Amb. Iliya Umar Damagum as the substantive National Chairman of the Party with effect from today, Monday, 25th August, 2025 until the National Convention holding at Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital on 15th to 16th November, 2025.
“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.
“NEC particularly expressed dismay and condemned the militarization of the recent bye-elections especially in Kaduna and Taraba States as well as Zamfara State where excessive security agencies were deployed in the conduct of 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.
“NEC reassures Nigerians of PDP’s commitment to Democracy and the defense of the interest and wellbeing of all citizens as we work hard to further reposition our Party to regain power in 2027.
“NEC adjourned and fixed its next (103rd) meeting to hold on Wednesday, 15th October, 2025.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the PDP governors forum, Governor Bala Mohammed, while making a remark assured that they are working very hard, to ensure the party becomes the darling of Nigerians, saying they have shown resilience, capacity and unity to do so.
According to Mohammed, the party is also navigating the temptations and some of the challenges within the National Working Committee in order to cautiously and cleverly navigate to convention.
“All the remaining issues of the various congresses have been resolved by the Working Committee with the help of the governors and other elders.
“Today, I would say that all the communication to INEC have been signed by our National Working Committee and that we don’t have any determining issue. So we are navigating and we are working very well, and of course, we’ll do our best to ensure that this party remains united. We must thank our founding fathers. They have been doing very well, exercising restraint and even accommodating our excesses, even of our party elders at the state level, especially our chairman.
“This is the party to beat, and we know you have always provided the platform for us. We’ll do our best to make sure that as governors, we give whatever support that we can do.
“The zoning committee has met under the governor of Bayelsa, and the report will be presented today by the chairman himself. And of course, the convention committee is there, so we are on the path to really establishing ourselves as a party that has no encumbrances, that has level playing field for Nigerians to actualize their aspirations.
Speaking at the opening of zoning committee’s meeting earlier, the chairman and governor of Bayelsa state, Douye Diri, harped on the need to rescue the party.
The task at hand, according to Diri, must be seen as an assignment of priority to party and country.
“The very first day we were inaugurated, we hit the ground running.
We convened a meeting here and took far-reaching decisions about the zoning.
“But more importantly, part of what I want to add today is that over the weekend, the governors had a meeting in Guzau, Zamfara State And in that meeting, the party was also represented, the BOT was also represented, and other organs of the party were represented.
“One of the decisions that was arrived on in that meeting is that we should not only zone the party offices, that we should equally zone the presidency,” he said.