2027 Presidency: Peter Obi’s Camp Reacts To PDP Zoning To South
The camp of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has welcomed the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Executive Committee to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
At its 102nd NEC meeting held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, the PDP resolved that the presidency should be retained in the South, while the office of the national chairman remains in the North.
The decision followed the adoption of a report presented by the zoning committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting stated that all national offices presently held by the North would remain in the North, while those in the South would stay within the region. It added that having retained the chairmanship in the North, the presidential ticket for the 2027 general elections had been zoned to the South.
Reacting to the development, Obi’s former Special Adviser on Public Affairs during the 2023 elections, Katchy Ononuju, said the move vindicated their long-standing call for inclusion and equity in governance.
According to him, Obi was not a personal project but a tool used to press home the demand that all regions of the country must be carried along.
“This is not about Peter Obi; it is about inclusion and governance. Obi was a tool we used to assert the seriousness of our argument that every region must be represented in the governance of Nigeria,” Ononuju said.
He commended the PDP for what he described as the courage to correct its earlier mistake, accusing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of attempting to undermine the South-East in the party’s previous arrangement.
“Now that they have corrected themselves and zoned the ticket to the South, the PDP has indirectly told Atiku that he was wrong. This action has gone a long way to heal the divisions created by Atiku’s compromising protocol which sidelined the Igbos,” he added.
On his part, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said while the zoning decision was a welcome development, Obi had yet to decide on his political direction.
He disclosed that several parties were in talks with the former Anambra State governor.
“Politics is dynamic. It is not only the PDP that is seeking Mr Obi’s hand. Many political platforms are reaching out to him. At the right time, Obi will make his decision,” Tanko stated.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
