PDP Zones 2027 Presidential Ticket to South, Confirms Damagum as National Chairman

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, while retaining the national chairmanship in the North, in what party leaders described as a strategic move to restore internal balance and reposition the opposition ahead of the next general elections.

The decision was among key resolutions reached at the end of the party’s 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Monday in Abuja.

The NEC also confirmed Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum as substantive national chairman. Damagum, who has been serving in an acting capacity since 2023, will continue in office until the party’s elective national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

In a communiqué issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the NEC unanimously adopted the report of the zoning committee, chaired by Bayelsa State Governor Senator Douye Diri. The report retained all national offices in their current regions while expressly zoning the 2027 presidential ticket to the South. The NEC further directed each region to embark on micro-zoning to ensure smooth implementation ahead of the Ibadan convention.

The meeting also received updates from the Constitution Amendment Committee and directed that draft proposals be circulated to state chapters and other organs of the party for wider consultation.

On the political climate, the PDP accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of “state capture,” citing alleged intimidation and militarisation in recent bye-elections in Kaduna, Taraba, and Zamfara States. The opposition warned that such practices posed a threat to democracy and amounted to an attempt to impose a one-party state on Nigeria.

Earlier, at the Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting that preceded the NEC session, Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara, represented by Secretary Senator Ahmed Makarfi, urged unity and reconciliation among members. He stressed the need to extend a hand of friendship to estranged party members, warning that “no political family thrives on endless exclusion.”

In his address, Damagum called for cohesion and focus within the party, describing the current period as “a critical moment in the life of the nation.” He reaffirmed the PDP’s commitment to gender inclusion, recalling the party’s support for the affirmative action bill before the National Assembly.

Governor Diri explained that the decision to zone the presidency to the South followed wide consultations with governors, former governors, ministers, and other key stakeholders. He said the move was in line with the PDP’s constitution and its tradition of rotational fairness.

In its closing resolutions, the NEC reassured Nigerians of the PDP’s readiness to “reclaim power in 2027,” pledging to defend democracy, protect citizens’ welfare, and present a credible alternative to what it called the APC’s “misrule.”

The NEC fixed its next meeting for October 15, 2025, as preparations intensify for the Ibadan convention.