The coast appears clear for former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, to contest the 2027 presidential election, as the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday zoned its presidential ticket to the South.
Both Jonathan and Obi were under pressure from their supporters to run in 2023, and with the NEC decision, the PDP has now emerged as a strong platform for either of them to launch a comeback.
Although Jonathan has yet to formally declare his intention, some of his loyalists have insisted that he has agreed to return in 2027 on the PDP platform. Their preference for him is rooted in the belief that he would be more acceptable to the North, since he is constitutionally limited to serving only one four-year term.
Obi, meanwhile, has remained a polarising figure. He co-founded the coalition-led African Democratic Congress (ADC) while maintaining a faction of the Labour Party. His popularity, both online and offline, has kept PDP stakeholders considering him a viable presidential candidate. Though he has openly expressed interest in the 2027 race, he has not yet declared the party under which he would run.
His supporters fear that the ADC might leave its ticket open, a move that could make it easy for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a perennial northern contender, to claim it. In such a scenario, Obi’s camp believes the PDP provides a stronger and more stable platform than the Labour Party, which has been weakened by internal divisions.
At the NEC meeting in Abuja on Tuesday , the party confirmed that the office of national chairman would remain in the North, while the presidency would go South.
Presenting the report of the zoning committee, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State said all PDP national offices currently held in the North and South would remain in their respective regions, with micro-zoning left to the states.
Reading the communiqué, National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba explained:
“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. The Regions should immediately micro-zone positions within their Region for implementation.”
The NEC further expressed satisfaction with preparations for the 2025 elective national convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, from 15th to 16th November. It acknowledged the efforts of the PDP Governors’ Forum, the Board of Trustees (BoT), the National Working Committee (NWC) and other organs of the party towards the success of the convention.
The communiqué also condemned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly resorting to “state capture” through intimidation, coercion and violence in recent bye-elections. It declared:
“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.”
The NEC ratified Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum as the substantive national chairman of the party. He succeeds Dr Iyorchia Ayu, who was suspended in May 2023 before being removed by a Benue High Court the following month.
Accepting his confirmation, Damagum said: “No individual, individuals or faction is bigger than the party.” He pledged to work honestly to lift and stabilise the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.
Also speaking, the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, warned that some aggrieved members of the party were allegedly collaborating with security officials to derail the November convention.
“Intelligence report says some aggrieved members of the party are working desperately to penetrate the leadership of the party to scuttle the planned national convention,” he cautioned.
Mohammed, however, reassured party members that the PDP would overcome all obstacles:
“We are working very hard to ensure that we make our party the darling of Nigerians, where we have shown resilience, capacity and, of course, unity between us, I would say that all the communication to INEC has been signed by our National Working Committee and that we don’t have any determining issue. We are navigating and working very well, and we’ll do our best to ensure that this party remains united.”
The chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, represented by the secretary, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, also urged the NEC to “temper justice with mercy” and accept defecting members back into the party.
Almost all PDP governors were present at the NEC meeting except Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, who travelled to Brazil with President Bola Tinubu, and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, who hosted the Nigerian Bar Association conference.
The next NEC meeting has been fixed for 15th October.
Chuks Okocha
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