Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party from the southern region have reaffirmed their support for retaining the party’s national chairmanship in the North, while insisting that the presidential ticket must remain in the South.
This resolution was the major outcome of the PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit held in Lagos on Wednesday.
The closed-door meeting, which lasted roughly an hour, brought together influential party stakeholders, including Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Douye Diri of Bayelsa. Enugu State Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai represented Governor Peter Mbah, and Senator Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, was also present.
Among other notable figures in attendance were former Deputy National Chairman Chief Olabode George; former governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom); as well as former Oyo State Speaker Jumoke Akinjide.
Others included Dr. Ali Odefa, Chief Emma Ogidi, Hon. Nnena Ukeje, and Dr. Eddy Olafeso.
During the deliberations, participants reached a consensus that the national chairmanship should remain in the North, while the presidential ticket is zoned to the South. However, the meeting did not resolve the issue of micro-zoning among the three southern zones—South-West, South-South, and South-East.
“Our position is that the presidency remains in the South while chairmanship remains in the North. The only issue is micro-zoning, but the majority opinion is against reopening that debate,” a participant revealed.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Governor Makinde emphasized that the decisions made would be presented to the National Executive Committee (NEC) on Monday. He stated that wider consultations were ongoing. “There is nothing wrong in consulting,” Makinde said. “Democracy is about the minority having their say and the majority having their way. The South has taken far-reaching decisions, and in the days ahead, wider consultations will also take place.”
Addressing criticisms from former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his allies, who had labelled the meeting “illegal,” Makinde defended the legitimacy of the gathering. He noted that 12 out of the 17 southern states were represented by zoning committee members, senators, House of Representatives members, BoT members, and other prominent party stakeholders.
A senior PDP figure confirmed that the southern bloc is aligned on the key principle of zoning. “The presidency must remain in the South, while chairmanship stays in the North. That is the position we will take to NEC.”
The zoning decision is expected to shape discussions ahead of the PDP national convention scheduled for November 15–16 in Ibadan, where a new National Working Committee (NWC) will be elected to replace the current leadership under Umar Damagum.
