Northern Groups Reject PDP’s 2027 Zoning Decision

Northern Groups Reject PDP’s 2027 Zoning Decision.
Northern groups warn decision risks alienating region and aiding Tinubu.
Some PDP leaders, Middle Belt Forum, back zoning as fair tradition.

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South has triggered sharp divisions among northern political groups, with some warning the move could weaken the opposition party ahead of the elections.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the party’s National Executive Committee, at its 102nd meeting, resolved to retain its National Working Committee under Umar Damagum while zoning the presidential ticket to the South. Prominent figures such as former Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Middle Belt Forum welcomed the decision, describing it as consistent with PDP’s long-standing zoning tradition.

However, several northern groups strongly opposed the arrangement. The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum warned that the zoning limits the democratic rights of northern aspirants and risks alienating voters in a region critical to PDP’s electoral strength. Similarly, the North Central Renaissance Movement insisted the ticket should have been reserved for the North Central, the only zone yet to produce a president or vice president.

A coalition of youth groups under the Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations labelled the decision “anti-democratic and unjust,” threatening political consequences if the party failed to reconsider. The Coalition of Northern Groups also faulted the plan, stressing that zoning should not override merit and open contest.

While some northern stakeholders see the decision as premature, others argue it could consolidate northern support for President Bola Tinubu, who is expected to seek re-election on the All Progressives Congress platform.

Despite the backlash, several PDP state chapters, including Niger, Nasarawa, Kwara and Yobe, have endorsed the zoning, with some speculating that former President Goodluck Jonathan may be considered as a consensus southern candidate.