PDP’s zoning gamble: Between sacrifice, selfishness, and survival

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South has stirred fresh controversy, unearthing the competing interests, deep-seated anxieties, and constitutional debates that continue to shape Nigeria’s political future.

At first glance, the resolution, announced after the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, appears to be a concession to unity.

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who chairs the PDP Governors Forum, confirmed that he “sacrificed” his ambition for the sake of consensus.

“Politics is not about personal interest, it’s about self-actualisation within the framework of party decisions, manifesto, and national development,” Mohammed said, urging Nigerians to see zoning as an instrument of peace rather than exclusion.

Yet, behind the rhetoric of sacrifice lies a much messier reality. Security expert and public affairs analyst, Dr. Mohammed Sani, paints a very different picture. He argues that what looks like unity is actually the outcome of power-brokering and self-preservation.

“People like Senator Bala Mohammed and Alhaji Sule Lamido have been agitating for a southern candidate not out of principle, but because they hope to be considered for the vice presidency,” Sani told Pulse Nigeria.

He went further, accusing PDP Chairman Umar Damagum of being a “lackey of Nyesom Wike,” the former Rivers governor now serving in President Tinubu’s cabinet.

In his view, Wike’s tacit alignment with the ruling APC makes the zoning decision less about strategy and more about eliminating Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president who carried the PDP flag in 2023.

A Constitutional Minefield

Beyond the internal politicking, the decision has also invited a serious constitutional challenge. The Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) has branded the zoning policy “a dangerous miscalculation” and vowed to resist it in court.

Citing Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution, the group insists that zoning violates the principle of non-discrimination and risks disqualifying the party’s candidate outright.

“History has shown us that whenever the PDP abandons its democratic tradition of open contests, it pays a heavy price,” GHSM’s coordinator Abdulrazaq Hamzat said.

He recalled how the party’s automatic endorsement of Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 triggered a rebellion that helped usher the APC into power.

The group warns that zoning could fracture the PDP yet again, repeating the cycle of exclusion, defections, and weakened opposition that has haunted the party since its ouster from power a decade ago.

Between Unity and Opportunism

For ordinary Nigerians, the zoning debate is not just about PDP’s electoral prospects, it cuts to the heart of whether opposition politics can offer genuine alternatives to a ruling party that appears firmly entrenched.

On one hand, zoning has often been defended as a stabilising principle in Nigeria’s fragile federation, giving different regions a sense of belonging.

On the other hand, critics see it as a smokescreen for elite bargaining, where political heavyweights trade away merit and vision in favour of convenience and personal ambition.

Bala Mohammed’s “sacrifice” may appeal to sentiments of unity, but Dr. Sani’s analysis strips away the veil, showing a party still caught in the grip of internal rivalries and external manipulations.

Meanwhile, the GHSM’s constitutional argument highlights the broader danger: that in its desperation to match APC’s strategy, the PDP could undermine not only its credibility but also its legal standing.

What Lies Ahead

As Nigeria inches closer to 2027, the PDP faces a pivotal test. Can it transform zoning from a symbol of elite convenience into a genuine tool for inclusion? Or will the decision become another nail in the coffin of a party that once prided itself as the custodian of Nigeria’s democracy?

For now, the party’s fate appears uncertain. Between accusations of selfishness, looming legal battles, and the shadow of a ruling party already rallying around Bola Tinubu, the PDP’s gamble on zoning could either heal old wounds, or deepen them beyond repair.

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