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The decision of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) to zone the presidency to the south, and retaining the national chairman of the party in the North has been described as another clear vindication of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike and the G-5’s position in 2022.
The minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said this on Monday in reaction to the decision of the party to zone the ticket to the South
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During its 102nd meeting earlier this Monday, the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) zoned the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
It also retained the position of the national chairman in the North. It further confirmed Umar Damagum for the position.
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Mr Damagum has been the acting national chairman of the PDP since 2023, when Iyorchia Ayu vacated the position in line with the order of the court.
“Now that the party has realised its mistake of not listening to Mr Wike and the G-5 in 2022, and has chosen to do what they said, three years later, have they not been vindicated now?” Mr Olayinka asked.
“Recall that the FCT Minister and the G-5 had insisted that the presidential candidate of the PDP and its national chairman must not remain in the same zone, insisting that since Atiku Abubakar, from the North had emerged as the presidential candidate, Iyorchia Ayu, also from the North must resign to pave the way for a national chairman from the South.
“Ayu, however, insisted on not resigning, with Atiku and his group backing him. Aftermath of this was the electoral misfortune the party suffered in 2023, followed by instability after the elections.
“But today, the NEC resolved that since the national chairman of the party is zoned to the North, the PDP 2027 presidential ticket be zoned to the South.
“Has PDP not come back to eat its own vomit?
“Sadly, they know the truth. Wike simply said, take the chairmanship to the South if you want to gain the presidency, but they said no, they must take the two, and the PDP lost!
“They have realised the mistake they made in 2022 and are correcting it in 2025. But is it not too late already, bearing in mind that the only way the zoning can be justified is for the South to conclude its eight years, while the presidency returns to the North in 2031?
Lere Olayinka
Senior Special Assistant
Public Communications and Social Media
August 25, 2025
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