PDP Legal Adviser: Party’s Zoning Decision Doesn’t Bar Anybody from Contesting in 2027

•Says PDP will avoid mistakes of 2023

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) has pointed out that the fact that the party has zoned the presidency to the south doesn’t preclude  persons from other parts of the country from contesting the 2027 presidential primaries.

Ajibade, while speaking on Arise Television, noted that the PDP cannot go against the constitution of the country, explaining that the recent zoning was just part of the party’s internal democratic processes.

However, he assured that the party will not repeat the mistakes that cost it the 2023 elections, stressing that reconciliation and discipline are already being enforced while defectors from rival parties will eventually return.

“I want to take on one particular aspect of this question, which you talk about the zoning of our presidential candidate to the south. The zoning has to do with our own internal democracy, and that has to do with our constitution requiring us to do zoning, to do balancing. But that would not preclude any other persons to run if they feel to come up to run.

“Because we cannot do things that would run against the constitution of Nigeria itself, which is the grundnorm. So even if we zone our presidential candidate to the south, it does not preclude, it will not stop anybody showing interest from any party. We will not stop that.

“We cannot stop that because the constitution of Nigeria itself gives everyone the right to come up to run for office, despite our (PDP) constitution saying we can do zoning,“ the national legal adviser stated.

On the issue of defections and the influence of former members who left the PDP, Ajibade dismissed claims that the party had been weakened, insisting that they would eventually return.

“Those that left, I can assure you, some of them have even returned back. And while we are going forward, I can tell you, even from APC, even from ADC, you are talking about, they will return back to this party, I can assure you that,” he emphasised.

On concerns about the role of former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and others who openly worked against the PDP during the elections, Ajibade stressed that discipline remains central but must be balanced with reconciliation.

“The most dangerous member of the political party is a member that will be PDP in the daytime and will be somewhere else at night. So, for Wike, we’ve known the position of Wike and Wike has come out to state his position as clearly as possible. So, as an aspect of discipline, the party is taking a step and we’re working on that,” he added.

According to him, the PDP is stronger now than in the immediate aftermath of the elections. “You can’t compare where we were four months ago with where we are today. At the end of the day, we resolved that issue and the party has moved forward,” he maintained.

Ajibade warned that political ambition should never overshadow the survival of the party. “My call most of the time is that certainly a politician, once you are a politician you must have ambition. But don’t let that ambition be above the party itself. That is the future of the party.

“That has always been what we have been preaching. Even the issue of G5, it was an issue of ambition. Certainly. But today I think we’ve taken a giant stride and everybody has been on deck and everybody is prepared today to move the party forward,” he said.

Speaking to speculations that the PDP had already shortlisted presidential hopefuls such as Goodluck Jonathan, Peter Obi, and Seyi Makinde, Ajibade dismissed it as individual opinion.

“What Senator Abba Moro has said is purely from his own perspective, looking at it, he’s entitled to it. He’s a leader in the party and he can come up to say that this is what we are looking at,” he argued.

Looking ahead, Ajibade said the PDP would continue reconciling and consolidating its base, and hinted at future surprises. “Yes, I can assure you, you should wait for surprises,” Ajibade assured.

He stated that the exit of Atiku Abubakar and others, was not enough to say the party was going extinct.

“Is it only Atiku that makes the party? If Atiku leaves the party, it means that the party is dead? I think I beg to disagree with that position. We have NWC that is intact. Even the division, when you talk about division of a party, it starts from the NWC.

“As long as the NWC is still intact, I can tell you that the party is still intact and they are together. A member of the party leaving a political party has nothing to do with whether he is the most important. There are very important people remaining in this party,” he emphasised.