The Peoples Democratic Party’s decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South has stirred strong reactions within its ranks, with party chieftain Gbenga Olawepo Hashim warning that the move amounts to a quiet endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid.
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The development followed the National Executive Committee meeting held in Abuja, where leaders agreed that the next presidential candidate should come from the South. Olawepo Hashim, a long-standing party figure, said the resolution shuts out contenders from other regions and weakens the PDP’s chances of presenting a strong rival in the race.
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He argued that the decision runs against the PDP’s history, recalling that in past elections the party never stopped any region from producing candidates. He pointed to examples in 1999 and 2003, when aspirants from different zones contested even against a sitting president, showing that the process was always open to all.
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The PDP leader further described the zoning arrangement as a costly mistake that could create legal problems. He noted that the Nigerian Constitution bars discrimination in elective contests based on region, meaning aggrieved members could challenge the policy in court. Such a case, he warned, might even put the party’s presidential ticket at risk of being voided.
Despite raising concerns, Olawepo Hashim admitted that the NEC reached its resolution through a democratic process with majority backing. However, he stressed that the choice still places the PDP in a vulnerable position ahead of 2027, with the possibility of internal disputes and external setbacks.
He maintained that the party has the ability to review and correct its decisions, citing previous occasions when controversial policies adopted by the NEC were later reversed at national conventions. For him, the door remains open for the PDP to take another look at the zoning formula before it faces the realities of the next election.
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