PDP southern leaders insist on zoning presidency to south, chairmanship to north

Southern leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have reaffirmed their position on power sharing ahead of the party’s November national convention, declaring that the presidency must remain in the South while the national chairmanship is retained in the North.

The resolution was reached on Wednesday at the PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit held in Lagos, which brought together governors, former governors, members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), and other influential stakeholders of the party.

READ ALSO: PDP crisis deepens as Makinde, Wike clash over convention venue

Prominent leaders at the closed-door meeting included Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Douye Diri of Bayelsa, Enugu State Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai, and BoT Chairman Adolphus Wabara. Other notable attendees were Chief Olabode George, former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Ebonyi Governor Sam Egwu, and ex-Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel, among others.

While the leaders agreed that the chairmanship should stay in the North and the presidency in the South, divisions remain over which of the three southern zones—South-West, South-South, or South-East—should produce the presidential candidate.

Speaking after the session, Governor Makinde said the resolutions will be formally presented to the National Executive Committee (NEC) on Monday.

“The South has taken far-reaching decisions, and wider consultations will follow,” he told journalists.

The camp loyal to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has dismissed the Lagos summit as “illegal.” However, southern leaders insisted that the meeting was legitimate, noting that 12 out of the 17 southern states were represented.

The zoning arrangement sets the stage for the PDP National Convention scheduled for November 15–16 in Ibadan, where a new National Working Committee (NWC) will be elected to replace the Umar Damagum-led leadership.