BREAKING: PDP zones presidential slot, affirms Damagum as its National Chairman

BREAKING: PDP zones presidential slot, affirms Damagum as its National Chairman

In a significant move ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned its presidential ticket to the southern region of the country.

This decision, announced following a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, also confirmed that the position of national chairman will remain with a northern candidate.

The NEC’s resolution solidifies the leadership of Umar Damagum, who was affirmed as the party’s National Chairman. Damagum has been serving as acting chairman since March 2023, stepping in after the suspension of his predecessor, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

The issue of zoning has been a long-standing point of contention within the PDP. This latest decision comes as Nigeria’s current president, Bola Tinubu—a southerner and member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)—has been adopted by his party as its candidate for the 2027 election.

The APC’s unanimous decision to back Tinubu, who was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has influenced the strategic thinking within the PDP.

The PDP’s 2023 presidential campaign was marred by internal conflict over zoning. The party’s decision to leave the ticket open resulted in former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a northerner, securing the nomination.

This move alienated key figures, most notably former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who subsequently supported Tinubu.

Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and a prominent PDP chieftain, had previously warned in May 2025 that the party would be unwise to zone its presidential ticket to the North if the APC’s candidate hailed from the South.

“As a party, come out openly now (and say) our presidential candidate will also come from the South? You don’t want to do that; you want to play the same game you played in 2023. It will backfire, and when it backfires, you will say these people did this, these people did that.

“I have told people: this smartness will not help you. Come out now and let everybody know this is where we are heading. This is not the time to send the presidency to the North. No,” he said at a media parley in Abuja on May 12.

Speaking further on the issue, Wike added, “The point is that selfishness can kill a system. If Mr President runs, for example, and wins in 2027, by 2031, the APC will zone their presidential ticket to the North. The PDP will do what then?

“Then you’ll come back and say, since the APC has zoned it to the North, let’s keep it in the North. What kind of smartness is that?”