The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, a decision that has thrilled southern leaders but angered northern blocs, exposing deep fractures within the opposition party.
For many PDP members, the move is payback after the controversial Atiku Abubakar ticket in 2023. Yet northern leaders warn the party risks losing its strongest voting base. “Lagos and Kano alone can decide elections,” a former PDP lawmaker from Kano said, hinting at possible revolt.
The decision has thrown up new rivalries. Oyo governor Seyi Makinde, widely seen as pushing the southern agenda, now faces resistance from FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who insists he will still shape who flies the flag. Goodluck Jonathan is also being whispered as a compromise option, though many urge him to stay out.
Across party lines, the zoning has sparked recalculations. APC must manage northern discontent despite Tinubu’s incumbency, Atiku’s ADC is trying to reinvent itself amid internal rifts, while Peter Obi’s Labour Party could benefit if PDP fields an unpopular candidate.
With Lagos and Kano set as key battlegrounds, analysts say the 2027 race is shaping into a three-way contest: PDP banking on southern unity, APC on incumbency, and Labour on youth momentum. Yet for ordinary Nigerians, zoning politics feels distant. As one Ibadan teacher put it: “Whoever they zone to, let that person reduce the price of garri.”
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