The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has dismissed insinuations that it is trying to placate former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, by zoning the 2027 presidential ticket of the party to anybody from the Southern part of the country.
Rather the party said it is reorganising and taking strategic steps to become better and stronger for the coming polls.
The National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated this on Wednesday while appearing on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, where he addressed questions on the state of the PDP, the forthcoming national convention, and dissenting views within the party.
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“The party was never in the ICU. Do we have challenges? Yes, we do, just like every human organisation. But what has emerged is the fact that the PDP has the capacity, in challenging periods, to step back, reorganise itself and take charge of its internal affairs,” Ologunagba said.
On claims that the zoning decision was a vindication of Wike, he maintained that no individual was bigger than the PDP.
“No one individual is vindicated. If anything, it is the party that has been vindicated. After the 2023 elections, we reviewed our processes, identified the gaps, and made the necessary adjustments. That is why Nigerians are now seeing renewed unity and excitement within the PDP,” he said.
He stressed that the party’s decision was in line with the founding principle that the presidential candidate should rotate between the North and South.
He added that all stakeholders, including the PDP Governors’ Forum, National Executive Committee (NEC), Board of Trustees (BoT), and state chapters, were united behind the resolution.
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“The NEC, after all consultations, decided to maintain stability by keeping positions in the North where they are, retaining positions in the South where they are, and zoning the presidency to the South. This was about fairness and unity, not glorifying an individual,” he added.
