Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has declared that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) must zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region of Nigeria if it wants to secure his support in the upcoming election.
Wike made this demand on Monday while presenting the communiqué from a PDP stakeholders’ meeting organized under the banner of “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP” in Abuja.
Despite currently serving in the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Wike maintained that his allegiance to the PDP remains conditional.
In May, the APC leadership had endorsed Tinubu for an automatic second-term ticket in 2027, and Wike has publicly committed to supporting the president’s re-election.
However, speaking on Monday, Wike signaled a willingness to throw his weight behind the PDP, but only if the party shifts its presidential ticket southward.
He stated, “The party must make an unequivocal pronouncement zoning its presidential candidate to the South in the 2027 elections after the unbroken years of Northern President under President Muhammadu Buhari.”
He argued that such zoning would reflect principles of equity, inclusiveness, and constitutional fairness within the PDP.
“In the spirit of fairness, inclusion, federal character principles and respect for our party constitution,” he added.
Wike also addressed internal disputes within the PDP, especially concerning the legitimacy of its leadership structure.
He emphasized that only the party’s National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, has the constitutional authority to issue official notices for meetings and conventions.
“In line with the provisions of our party constitution, only the National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, can issue notices of meeting of the National Convention, National Executive Committee, National Caucus and the National Working Committee.”
“And to this end, all notices not issued by him and actions founded on them, including correspondences to INEC, are null and void and of no effect whatsoever,” Wike declared.
He called on the PDP to abide by a Supreme Court ruling recognizing Anyanwu’s position, stating that doing so is essential to the party’s survival.
“To finally arrest the inexorable drift towards extinction in our party, the party must, without further delay, respect the judgment of the Supreme Court,” he said.
“We, therefore, unequivocally reaffirm Senator Sam Anyanwu as the duly elected and substantive National Secretary of our great party,” Wike concluded.
