Ahead 2027 Poll: Will PDP Zone It’s Elective Offices?

CHUKS OKOCHA REPORTS THAT THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY, THE PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY, WILL TODAY IN ABUJA TAKE A POSITION ON THE REPORT OF THE GOVERNOR DOUYE DIRI-LED COMMITTEE IT RECENTLY CONSTITUTED TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUE OF  ZONING PARTY OFFICES AND THE PRESIDENTIAL TICKET AHEAD OF THE 2027 POLL.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PeoplesDemocratic Party, will today take a crucial decision in it’s resolve to move the party forward or fall backwards into further abyss.  

At it’s 102 NEC meeting holding at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, the party will decide which of the divides across the Niger will fly the presidential ticket in 2027 and which zone will produce the next National chairman of the party. Usually, both zones of North and South alternate these positions. The PDP has always ensured that if the chairman comes from the North, then, the presidential candidate will come from the south.

The North cannot have both the national chairman and the presidential ticket all to itself. The same thing applies to the south. And this helps to shape the power equation in the party, albeit the nation.

So, as the NEC holds today, party chieftains and stakeholders have been brain storming on which would be the best option for the PDP in it’s quest to reinvent itself.

As part of this measure, the party has set up a zoning committee headed by the governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri. The committee for sometime now has been having series of consultations on how best to give a better zoning arrangements for the party.

Zoning of the 2027 presidential ticket is one of the major decisions that will be taken. Three options are before the party: zoning the ticket to the South, throwing it open or zoning it to the North. However, major stakeholders are in favour of zoning it to the South.

A section of the party is mulling a fourth option of backing President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which a sizable number of stakeholders consider as political suicide.

Today’s NEC meeting of the PDP is expected to ratify the zoning formula, approve convention timetable, and deliberate on sanctions. It will also adopt the Governor Diri-led zoning plan, impose discipline on erring members, or choose reconciliation to preserve unity. Whichever path it takes, the meeting will set the tone for the party’s forthcoming elective convention in Ibadan.

Observers argue that Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, NyesomWike’s disruptive influence and Oyo state Governor, Seyi Makinde’sreformist drive will shape the outcome. A credible, rancour-free convention could restore confidence and reposition the PDP as a viable opposition. But a chaotic gathering, however, may push the party further into irrelevance.

For the PDP, survival now depends on whether it can resolve it’s internal wars, enforce discipline, and present a united front, before it can ask Nigerians to trust it with power again. The party must first prove it can govern itself.

Expectations From Today’s NEC Meeting 

Speaking on the expectations from the  meeting, two members of the zoning Committee told THISDAY in separate interviews that the presidential candidate of the party would emerge from the south.

THISDAY gathered that the decision of the presidential candidate coming from the south is to be in line with the current mood of the nation that the south presidency of Nigeria shall be for a period of eight years.

According to one of the sources from the committee, ‘’it is an almost near consensus that the presidential candidate of the PDP for the 2027 poll should come from the South.

‘’We have competent presidential materials from the South. Once this decision is adopted by the National Executive Committee meeting on Monday, you will start to see the calibre of the presidential materials gradually coming out.

‘’It is not zoned to any particular zone. It is open to all the three geopolitical zones of the south.’, the source said.

Speaking further, the source said, ‘’the national chairman of the party will come from any of the geopolitical zones.’’

Asked whether any of the current members of the National Working Committee of the party is qualified to contest for the new leadership, he said it depends on the further micro zonings that would be approved by the NEC expected to hold Monday.

Opposition to Lagos stakeholders’ meeting

Some state Chairmen of the PDP, former governors, National Assembly members, serving and former National Working Committee members, and other stakeholders from the Southern region disowned the meeting scheduled for Lagos on Thursday, August 21, 2025. The meeting was scheduled by a group in the PDP with the aim of zoning positions.

The PDP leaders, while describing the meeting as illegal, dismissed “any resolutions, communiques, or outcomes purportedly emanating” from the meeting, saying “decisions reached in secrecy and exclusion cannot and shall not assume the authority of consensus.

The PDP chieftains made this known in a statement signed by the party chairmen of Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers states, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah, Venatuis Ikem, Aniekan Akpan, and Aaron Chukwuemeka, respectively, as well as the National Vice Chairman (South-East), Chidiebere Egwu Goodluck, and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, O. K. Chinda, among others.

They stated: “The said meeting tagged ‘a summit’ was allegedly convened in the name of the three geo-political zones of Southern Nigeria — South East, South South, and South West.

“It is highly regrettable and indeed deeply disturbing that such a meeting was convened without the courtesy of inviting several State Chairmen from the South East and South South, as well as the duly elected National Secretary and Deputy National Legal Adviser of our great party.

“Even more troubling is the inexplicable exclusion of several national officers, eminent leaders, and critical stakeholders of the PDP. Shockingly, the Minority Leader in the National Assembly and other principal officers of our party from the South-South and South-East were also deliberately sidelined and denied participation in a meeting where such far-reaching and sensitive decisions on zoning, power rotation, and political equity are to be discussed.

“Equally concerning is the deliberate omission of most former governors from the South East and South South, who, by every standard of history, pedigree, and institutional memory, remain critical stakeholders in any conversation about the future direction of our party. Such a brazen disregard for established structures and statutory organs of the PDP not only offends the spirit of collective decision-making but also risks undermining the very foundation upon which our party was built.

For the avoidance of doubt, we categorically dismiss any resolutions, communiques, or outcomes purportedly emanating from this meeting as neither binding on, or reflective of, the collective will and aspirations of the PDP family across Southern Nigeria. Decisions reached in secrecy and exclusion cannot and shall not assume the authority of consensus.

“More particularly, the said summit is premature and targeted at protecting the interest and selfish ambition of a select few as the Zoning Committee set up by the 101th NEC is yet to present its report for ratification by the party.

“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the unity, stability, and electoral fortunes of the PDP and call upon all well-meaning leaders and stakeholders to resist any attempt to manipulate zoning arrangements through exclusionary tactics or clandestine maneuvers.

“The South East and South South zones, alongside our counterparts in the South West, remain united in the pursuit of fairness, justice, and equity – the very ideals that have sustained our party’s relevance and credibility over the years.

“The PDP leaders, therefore, called on the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), and all stakeholders of the party to “disregard any outcome of the said meeting which is not only illegal but divisive.

PDP Professionals’ counter

However, in a swift reaction that is usual with PDP, a group, the Conference of Professionals in the Peoples Democratic Party (CP-PDP) said it can authoritatively say that the leaders of the PDP in the South did not dismiss the Stakeholders Summit duly organized by the Party’s Zoning Committee in Lagos last Thursday contrary to misleading claims by some misguided elements in the party.

Instead, the leaders of the party in the south not only embraced the summit but are also massively in attendance for consultation with the Zoning Committee set up by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on the zoning of national offices ahead of the National Convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State capital on the 15th and 16th November, 2025.

The CP-PDP in a statement by it’s Chairman, Obinna Nwachukeu said it verifies that the Zoning Committee led by Governor  Diri of Bayelsa State duly invited and had in attendance at the meeting, relevant stakeholders from the South including the four PDP State Governors, Board of Trustees (BoT) members, the three National Vice Chairmen from the South, serving Senators, serving members of the House of Representatives, State Chairmen, former governors and all members of the Zoning Committee from the South for consultation in line with the mandate assigned to the Committee by the party’s NEC.  

Accordingly, it said, ‘’Any resolution or recommendation reached at the summit would therefore be valid, authentic and recognized by the party.

‘’It is thus impudent and highly irresponsible for some individuals to attempt to discredit the valid and lawful activity of a body duly constituted by the NEC by attempting to mislead the public and members of our great party by claiming that the PDP leaders of the South are averse to the summit and that the summit was shrouded in secrecy.

‘’Information available to the Conference reveal that these misguided individuals are being teleguided and sponsored by a prominent Minister in the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration who has not hidden his intention to scuttle the scheduled National Convention of the PDP.

‘’The thoughtless action of these puppet politicians is in gross violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) which attracts serious penalty specifically under Section 58 (1) (h) (j) of the PDP Constitution.

‘’In light of the provisions of the PDP Constitution, the Conference urges the National Working Committee (NWC) to immediately sanction all the individuals in the amorphous group which sought to discredit the activities of the Zoning Committee.’’

The CP-PDP therefore urged all party members and the general public to disregard the claims as the party is solidly behind the Diri-led Zoning Committee as it continues to consult party stakeholders in the course of its assignment. 

Makinde Sums up Lagos stakeholders meeting

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, however gave a summary of the Lagos stakeholders  meeting, stating clearly that they had taken far-reaching decisions expected to lead to wider consultations in the days ahead, preparatory to their national convention billed to hold in Ibadan, the state capital.

Speaking at the meeting, Makinde, who was flanked by Governor DouyeDiri of Bayelsa State; chairman of the Board of Trustees and former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara; and the deputy governor of Enugu State, insisted that Wike was not the issue right now.

According to Makinde: “Personally, when people go low, or they go into the gutters, I don’t go with them. Nothing should stop us from consulting. Democracy is about the minority having their say and the majority having their way. That is democracy.

“So, we’re democrats, the south has taken far-reaching decisions, and in the days ahead, leading to our next wider consultations will also take place, and we are sure that those that have been saying all around that PDP is dead.

“That PDP is now a carcass, at least with the calibre of the people that you’ve seen here, sitting governors, former governors, leaders and elders, the former senate president, chairman of BOT, they are all here and committed to PDP taking back its rightful position in Nigeria”.

He explained further: “So, in the days ahead, some of the things discussed here, you’ll see them on course. But you can see here. Go through a little bit of the people that are here.

“Governor Adeleke is here. He came back into this country, I believe this morning, and then he went straight to Osogbo to address some governance issues. But he said, look, whatever we decide here is with us.

“Governor Diri is here, Governor Peter Mbah, who couldn’t make it physically, sent the deputy governor, who is here. You have the chairman of our board of trustees here. You also have at least 12 of the 17 members of the zoning committee from the south.

“It’s one per state. So you have 12 states here. You have in each zone, you have rep members here, you have senators from each zone in the south, the three zones.

“You have BoT members from the three zones in the south. So, yes, I won’t say maybe the organisers will score 100%. You don’t score 100% in politics.

“And quite frankly, they are members of PDP. And consultation means you keep reaching out, you keep engaging. So, from this meeting, we will also reach out and engage and even do more.

“Exactly what are we trying to do? We’re trying to get all stakeholders, all tendencies in the PDP together so that we can give a credible alternative to Nigerians in the years ahead.”

The meeting also had in attendance Chief Olabode George, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Dr. Fred Agbedi, former governor Emmanuel Udomof Akwa Ibom, and Senator Ben Obi, among others.

Makinde , while commenting on zoning of offices, said a decision on it was being expected.

His words: “It’s a next decision. This consultative meeting is not something that is statutory in the constitution of PDP.  But democracy is inclusivity, reaching out and ensuring that all stakeholders are carried along, which is what we’ve done today.

“NEC is on Monday. Today is Thursday. You will definitely have a decision. So, NEC is a proposal of Southern PDP members. Yes. These are prominent members. 

Asked if the meeting talked about the South producing the next presidential candidate for the party, Oyo Governor said “We haven’t even gotten there. We need to have a party first before you start talking about presidential candidates, you know, if we don’t have a party, anything that you’re trying to do will fall flat.

“Our efforts right now is directed towards having a viral and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and believe in again. I mean, that is democracy. We will reach out to them. I can disagree with people, but there shouldn’t be anything personal here.

“It should be about what are we giving to Nigerians because they are watching, you know. We want to rebuild PDP. In Oyo state, they showed last Saturday that PDP is not dead.

“In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second in each of those. It’s some indication to us that if we continue to work hard, if we continue to strive hard, if we continue to bring our people together, we’ll get to a point where Nigerians will really start listening to us.”

Enter PDP Governors

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal at the weekend hosted fellow governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gusau, the state capital for a strategic meeting aimed at shaping the party’s direction ahead of its national convention.

The spokesperson to the Zamfara State Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris described the meeting as a pivotal gathering to deliberate on key political strategies and foster unity within the party.

He said “Governor Dauda Lawal extends a warm welcome to his counterparts, the governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“The governors are convening today (Friday) for an important session of the PDP Governors Forum. Governor Lawal will host a dinner this evening, ahead of tomorrow’s strategic meeting.”

The statement further noted that the meeting will provide an opportunity for party leaders to address pressing political issues, strengthen internal cohesion, and collaborate on developmental initiatives across their respective states.

The PDP governors discussed preparations for the upcoming national convention, scheduled to take place in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025 and resolved that stakeholders should not allow the scheduled convention to be derailed by any individual with ulterior motive.

What ever happens at the NEC meeting, today is a day every one has been waiting for.