Wike queries PDP’s ‘smartness’ over zoning of presidential ticket
Nyesom Wike, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, has publicly warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against zoning its presidential ticket to the northern part of the country for the 2027 general election.
He strongly advocates for the party to zone the ticket to the South.
Wike stated that it would be wrong for the PDP to zone its presidential ticket to the North in 2027 and urged the party to openly declare that its presidential candidate will come from the South. He warned that failing to do so would be repeating the same mistake made in 2023, which he believes contributed to the party’s defeat.
According to Wike, the PDP’s refusal to adhere to its own zoning principles before the 2023 elections created significant internal divisions.
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He argued that because the current presidency is occupied by someone from the South, the PDP should also zone its ticket to the South. He cautioned that playing the “same game” as in 2023 would “backfire” and that this “smartness” would not help the party.
“What kind of smartness is that?”, Wike queried.
Wike also presented a scenario where if the current President (from the South) runs and wins in 2027, the All Progressives Congress (APC) would likely zone its presidential ticket to the North in 2031. He questioned what the PDP would do then, suggesting they would also give their ticket to the North, which he described as a misguided approach.
He identified “selfish interest” as a major problem that could “kill” the PDP and cause it to lose elections in 2027. Wike maintained his commitment to the PDP but insisted he would not tolerate injustice within the party. He asserted that he is “building the PDP, not tearing it apart,” in relation to his stance on zoning debates.
