The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South has been described as a validation of earlier positions held by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike and the G-5 group of governors.

This is according to Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.

In a statement released on Monday, Olayinka said the PDP’s failure to adopt this zoning arrangement in 2023 contributed significantly to its loss at the polls.

“Now that the party has accepted what Wike and the G-5 advocated for in 2022, that the presidency should be zoned to the South if the party chairman is from the North, it is clear they were right all along,” he said.

Olayinka recalled that during the 2023 presidential election cycle, Wike and the G-5 had strongly opposed the concentration of both the presidential ticket and the national chairmanship in the North.

Despite their calls for Senator Iyorchia Ayu to step down following the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate, the leadership of the party refused.

“Ayu, with Atiku’s support, refused to resign, and this led to the division within the PDP. The party paid for that decision with electoral defeat and internal crisis,” he added.

While acknowledging that the party’s new position was a welcome correction, Olayinka questioned whether the move had come too late.

“They have now done what they refused to do in 2022. But the damage may already have been done. Wike had warned that power sharing was key to unity and success,” he said.

He also noted that any talk of true zoning would only make sense if the South is allowed to complete an eight-year presidential cycle, after which power could return to the North in 2031.

On Monday, the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) announced that the 2027 presidential ticket would be zoned to the South, while the national chairmanship would remain in the North.

The party also confirmed Umar Damagum as its substantive National Chairman.

Damagum had served as acting chairman since March 2023 following the court-backed suspension of Senator Ayu. Prior to that, he was the PDP Deputy Chairman (North).

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has hailed what he described as a major political realignment following the reported merger of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) structure in Kaduna with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

According to a statement from the coalition’s Publicity Secretary, Darius Kurah, the alleged merger was announced at a strategic coalition meeting on Saturday, August 23, 2025, chaired by El-Rufai and attended by political stakeholders from multiple parties.

The statement claimed that the entire Kaduna SDP structure had collapsed into the ADC as part of efforts to build a stronger opposition ahead of upcoming elections.

Attendees included ADC North-West Chairman, Ja’afar Sani, Kaduna ADC Chairman, Patrick Ambut, former commissioners, SDP working committee members, and PDP representatives.

In his remarks, El-Rufai praised the move as an act of unity and vision:

“What we are witnessing is not just an alliance of party structures, but a unity of purpose. Kaduna needs leaders who can put aside narrow interests and unite to offer credible, people-focused governance.”

The ADC leadership echoed the sentiment, describing the development as a “new dawn” for politics in the state.

However, the Kaduna State chapter of the SDP has strongly denied El-Rufai’s claims. In a swift rebuttal issued on Monday, SDP State Chairman Adamu Idris dismissed the alleged merger as “spurious, misleading, and politically mischievous.”

Idris insisted that the party’s structure in Kaduna remains intact and has no plans to merge with the ADC or any coalition fronted by El-Rufai.

“These are impostors masquerading as SDP members to curry favour with El-Rufai. They do not represent our party and have no mandate to speak on its behalf,” he said.

He further accused El-Rufai of attempting to sow division within the party for personal political advantage, adding that the former governor’s brief involvement with the SDP had only led to internal strife.

“Since his exit, peace has returned, and the party has been repositioned as a credible voice for democracy and good governance,” Idris asserted.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has strongly criticized the party’s decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, calling it a “big error” that could jeopardize the party’s chances in the next general election.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today shortly after the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, Olawepo-Hashim warned that the zoning decision might inadvertently serve as an endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

“Zoning the presidency to the South is a default campaign for the return of President Bola Tinubu. Those behind this move claim to be in PDP but are working for Tinubu,” he alleged.

While acknowledging that the zoning decision was reached democratically by a majority vote, he said it was a strategic miscalculation that could weaken the PDP’s competitiveness in 2027.

Olawepo-Hashim argued that the PDP had never formally restricted any region from contesting the presidency in past elections.

He cited past primaries where multiple aspirants from different zones vied for the party’s ticket:

In 1999, General Olusegun Obasanjo ran against northern candidates like Alhaji Rimi and Alex Ekwueme.

In 2003, Obasanjo again contested the party’s ticket against Chief Barnabas Gemade (Benue) and Alhaji Rimi (Kano).

“The PDP has always allowed open competition. This zoning decision breaks from that tradition,” he noted.

Olawepo-Hashim also raised legal concerns, warning that the decision may trigger a constitutional crisis.

He argued that Nigeria’s Constitution does not permit discrimination against party members based on geographic origin when it comes to contesting elective offices.

“The constitution guarantees every Nigerian equal right to participate. This zoning move could violate that principle,” he said.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has confirmed Ambassador Umar Damagum as the party’s substantive National Chairman, officially ratifying his leadership during the committee’s 102nd meeting held in Abuja on Monday.

Damagum had been serving as acting chairman since March 2023 following the suspension of former chairman Senator Iyorchia Ayu, a decision that was later upheld by the court.

Before assuming the acting role, Damagum held the position of Deputy National Chairman (North).

His confirmation came after the NEC temporarily paused the session to allow for a formal swearing-in ceremony, which was conducted by the party’s National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade.

In his acceptance speech, Damagum expressed gratitude to his colleagues in the National Working Committee (NWC) for their support and collaboration over the past two years.

He also thanked the NEC for recognizing his efforts toward repositioning and stabilizing the party.

“I sincerely appreciate the confidence reposed in me. The work has been challenging, but the unity within the party leadership has made progress possible,” he said.

A communiqué released after the meeting praised the Damagum-led NWC for its role in maintaining party cohesion and steering the PDP through a critical post-election period.

“NEC hereby ratifies and confirms the appointment of Umar Damagum as the substantive National Chairman of the party with effect from today, Monday, August 25, 2025,” the document stated.

His tenure will continue until the PDP’s national elective convention, scheduled to take place in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15–16, 2025.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has confirmed that he will contest the 2027 presidential election, ending speculation about his political future.

The announcement was made through Tunde Olusunle, Atiku’s long-time associate and spokesperson during the 2023 presidential campaign, during an interview on ThisDay Sunday night.

“I will run in 2027. Nigeria needs to be decisively rescued from the intensive care unit it has been consigned to,” Atiku reportedly said from his residence in the UAE.

Atiku’s declaration comes in response to recent comments by Professor Ola Olateju of Achievers University, who had suggested that the former vice president might step back from politics to focus more broadly on national development.

Atiku, however, quickly distanced himself from the professor’s remarks, clarifying that Olateju had not been authorised to speak on his behalf.

“There was no engagement with me. Prof. Olateju was not speaking for me,” Atiku stated.

The 2023 PDP presidential candidate did not hold back in his assessment of the current administration, accusing it of rampant corruption and lack of accountability.

“The mega-scale, unimpeded thievery and absolute lack of accountability must disturb every patriot,” Olusunle quoted Atiku as saying after a private discussion.

Atiku argued that Nigeria has suffered severe deterioration in governance and social conditions under the APC-led government, describing the country as being in “intensive care.”

Despite PDP’s internal challenges and recent losses, Atiku expressed confidence in the opposition’s ability to regroup and mount a strong challenge in the next election.

“We will shock the world in 2027,” he assured, noting that his coalition is working to mobilise Nigerians in a united effort to “reclaim and rebuild” the nation.

He emphasized his intention to lead the movement for national recovery and said he would “offer himself to lead the reclamation and reconstruction of our traumatised homeland.”