2027 Presidency: PDP Adopts South-South, South-East or South-West for Ticket

Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has decided to zone its ticket to the South.

This decision was made at the party’s 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, where they also chose to keep the current zoning formula for the National Working Committee ahead of the November 2025 convention.

According to Debo Ologunagba, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, the resolution was based on a report from the Zoning Committee led by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.

Ologunagba announced this at a media briefing after the NEC meeting in Abuja on Monday.

Persecondnews reports that the party had before the 2023 elections, thrown its presidential ticket open which paved the way for the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate.

Some southern leaders including the then Rivers Governor and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, had opposed him, describing it as an unfair power-sharing arrangement between the North and the South.

Ologunagba noted that the PDP’s NEC was happy with how well the party’s different groups, chapters, and structures were getting ready for the 2025 Elective National Convention.

The convention is set to take place in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, from Saturday, November 15 to Sunday, November 16, 2025.

In a communiqué, Ologunagba also said that the meeting praised the hard work of the PDP governors, the Board of Trustees, the National Working Committee, the National Assembly caucus, and other party bodies for helping to make the 2025 National Convention a success.

The communique reads in part: “NEC received and after extensive deliberation approved the report of the National Convention Zoning Committee which recommended 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 an 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.”

Ologunagba said NEC confirmed Umar Damagum as substantive National Chairman, effective Monday, August 25, 2025, in recognition of his role in stabilising the party, pending the National Convention.

“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 militarisation 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 the 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 the 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 well-being of all citizens as we work hard to further reposition our party to regain power in 2027,” it stated.