The Bureau News: PDP Faces Internal Debate on 2027 Presidential Candidates as Zoning Committee is Inaugurated
With the 2027 presidential election just around the corner, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) are at odds over the prospect of former President Goodluck Jonathan and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi rejoining the party.
The disagreement comes as the party prepares to officially inaugurate both the National Working Committee Zoning Committee and the 2027 Election Zoning Committee today (Thursday) in Abuja.
While some senior members of the National Working Committee, who are also part of the NEC, have raised concerns about the possible return of Jonathan—who left the party at a critical juncture—and Obi, whose defection to the Labour Party was a significant blow to the PDP’s 2023 electoral chances, others within the NEC have voiced their support for their potential return. These members believe that the party must remain open to all possibilities in its quest for electoral success.
However, the majority agree that the PDP already has a robust pool of credible candidates, such as Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who are well-qualified to lead the party in 2027.
Sources within the PDP leadership confirmed to The Bureau News that no official outreach has been made to Jonathan or Obi as of yet. It was clarified that any moves to engage with these former party figures are being made by individuals, not by the party itself.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, reassured the public that the party’s Zoning Committee would be inaugurated as planned, with a broad and qualified selection of potential presidential candidates already available.
In response, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, asserted that regardless of the candidate chosen by the PDP, President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the 2027 election remains a certainty for the ruling party.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story, only on The Bureau News.
