PDP Elders Push for Southern Presidential Candidate in 2027

Founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are calling on the party’s leadership to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the South, saying such a move would promote unity, justice, and improve the party’s chances of winning the election.

At a conference themed “Reclaiming Our Legacy, Renewing Our Collective Vision” held in Abuja, former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, made the case for a southern candidate. He said the proposal aligns with the PDP’s founding principles and is vital to restoring confidence in the party’s direction.

Gana urged the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), meeting today in Abuja, to approve the immediate organization of a national convention to elect a new National Working Committee (NWC). According to him, a credible and transparent selection process for the 2027 candidate must begin with fresh party leadership and full internal democracy.

He also stressed the need to field “a visionary leader, a tested patriot, and a proven solution-provider” who can lead the party back to power. Gana added that the PDP must open space for youth and women participation, both within the party structure and as candidates in the next general election.

“The energy, ideas, and digital fluency of young Nigerians are essential,” he said. “We must deliberately integrate youth and women into the core of our leadership.”

Acting PDP National Chairman Umar Damagum used the gathering to reflect on the party’s history, acknowledging internal betrayals and self-inflicted wounds. He said the PDP’s resilience lies in its founding vision and openness to reconciliation, adding that those who left the party for other platforms are welcome to return.

“Our doors remain open,” Damagum said. “We are still the party that gave many of them their first political home.”

But former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu strongly disagreed with that position, warning against embracing what he called “nomadic politicians.” He said constant defections and the preferential treatment of returnees have undermined the PDP’s stability and credibility.

“You leave the party, you join the queue,” Aliyu declared. “We must reward loyalty and build a principled, disciplined political culture—not just chase elections.”

He criticized past primary elections for being dominated by defectors and insisted that future success depends on building a strong, united party based on merit, not opportunism.

The PDP’s internal debates come at a time of high-profile defections. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki, and former House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal all left the PDP in 2014, joined the APC, and later returned. Atiku again exited the PDP last week to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which some opposition leaders have picked as their 2027 platform. Former Senate President David Mark, recently named interim ADC chairman, also resigned from the PDP.

Governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), along with other top PDP politicians including 2023 vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, have also defected to the ruling APC.

As the 2027 race begins to take shape, PDP leaders face a critical choice: either rebuild a cohesive, forward-looking platform or risk further fragmentation.