PDP chieftain warns party against repeating 2023 presidential mistake

The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, has identified the decision to field a northern presidential candidate as a key factor that led to the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) defeat in the 2023 general elections.

Speaking on Thursday during a live appearance on African Independent Television’s (AIT) flagship programme Focus Nigeria, the Benue South lawmaker reflected on the internal miscalculations and policy breaches that culminated in the party’s electoral loss.

According to Moro, the PDP’s controversial choice to present former Vice President Atiku Abubakar—a northerner—as its presidential flag bearer, despite widespread opposition within the party, created discontent among party leaders and supporters, ultimately derailing its chances at the polls.

“In 2022 running into 2023, the PDP was already in opposition. The burning question at the time was how to regain power. The PDP’s constitution makes provision for zoning, but the Nigerian Constitution gives every citizen equal rights to aspire to any political office,” Moro explained.

He said that the party’s leadership, in an attempt to select the most formidable candidate to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), opted for an open contest rather than strictly adhering to the party’s zoning principle.

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This decision, he noted, alienated many stakeholders and violated the established power rotation agreement, especially since the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, was also from the North.

“That move backfired,” Moro stated plainly. “Looking back now, it is clear that one of the main reasons we lost the 2023 presidential election is because our candidate came from the North. People, on moral grounds, felt that after eight years of a northern president, fairness demanded that the South be given the opportunity.”

Moro emphasized that the fallout from that decision had long-term implications, warning the party against making similar errors in future electoral cycles.

“It takes just minutes to do damage, but years of effort to repair it,” he lamented. “The PDP is now in a phase of self-reflection, and there is no doubt that if we continue to make the same mistakes that brought us here, the outcome in the next election will not be any different.”

He called for introspection, adherence to internal policies, and a sincere commitment to equity within the party as PDP seeks to rebuild ahead of 2027.

The comments from the Senate Minority Leader add to the growing calls from within the PDP for reforms and genuine reconciliation, particularly as the party prepares to re-strategize in the wake of its loss in 2023.