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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has clarified that its zoning arrangement will not preclude aspirants from other regions of the country from contesting for its presidential ticket in the 2027 general election.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, the party’s National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, said zoning remains an important principle of fairness and balance in the PDP. However, he stressed that the arrangement cannot override the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantee every qualified citizen the right to seek elective office.
“Even if we zone our presidential candidate to the South, it will not stop anybody from any part of the country from showing interest,” Ajibade stated. “We cannot do things that will contradict the Constitution of Nigeria, which is the grand norm.”
Ajibade explained that the zoning policy should be seen as a tool for inclusivity rather than a restriction, adding that it was designed to ensure equity in leadership rotation but not to disenfranchise aspirants from other regions.
Since its formation in 1998, the PDP has operated an informal zoning arrangement between the North and South to balance power and foster national unity. This principle produced a rotation of presidential candidates: Olusegun Obasanjo from the South (1999–2007), Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from the North (2007–2010), and Goodluck Jonathan from the South (2010–2015).
However, the arrangement has also been a source of internal contention. In the lead-up to the 2023 elections, several southern stakeholders pushed for the presidential ticket to be zoned to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, completed his eight-year tenure. The eventual emergence of Atiku Abubakar, a northern candidate, as the PDP’s flag bearer reignited debates over the party’s commitment to zoning.
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