PDP Eyes Southern candidates for 2027 Presidential Race, Negotiations Underway
The People’sโ Democraticโ Partyโ (PDP)โฃ is โฃactively engaged in internal โdiscussions to determine itsโฃ presidential flagbearer for the 2027 โelection, withโ a focus on candidates โfrom the Southern region of Nigeria. While several names are being floated, includingโค former President Goodluck Jonathan, 2023 โฃLabour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and Oyo state Governor Seyi Makinde, theโ party insistsโ no decision has been made.
Barrister Okechukwu Osuoha, theโฃ PDP Deputy National Legal Adviser, clarified on Sunday that the โคnames circulating are currently “speculations.” He emphasized the party’s priority is ongoing negotiations andโค consultations to identify the “most credible candidate.” Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro had โpreviously โmentioned Jonathan, Obi,โฃ and Makinde as potential contenders, โคadding that other qualified individuals from the South could emerge as discussions broaden.
Osuoha revealedโฃ that numerous potential aspirants are engaged in โprivate talks with key stakeholders to bolsterโ their โขchances, even as public attention focuses on the aforementioned figures. The party’s โคimmediate focus โis on holding a national convention to elect new officers who will lead the PDP for the next four years. Followingโค the convention, the party will begin the process of โnarrowing the field of aspirants before โthe primaries.
“It isโ indeed during that period that โwe โคwill narrow it down โto those who โขareโ going to contest,” Osuoha stated. “The party will want to conduct aโ free and fairโฃ primary to maintain clarity and prove that when we talkโค about democracy, we liveโ by it.”
The PDP has officially resolved โto โขzone the presidency to the South for the 2027โ election,meaning the candidate must hailโ from theโข South-West,South-east,or South-Southโฃ regions. Osuohaโ stressed that โฃregional balance and โฃparty unity will be crucial considerations, with theโฃ party aiming to avoid internal conflict.
Sources withinโฃ the โparty โindicate ongoing consultations across the zones, with influential โขpoliticians discreetly reaching out toโ delegates, governors, and โขkeyโ powerโค blocs. The South-East region is reportedly advocating strongly for the chanceโค to โคproduceโ the candidate, arguing it hasโ beenโค excluded from theโฃ presidency sinceโ the return to โขdemocracy in 1999.โฃ Simultaneously, allies of Governor Makinde in the South-West are quietly building support โขnetworks.
While Goodluck Jonathan has โฃnot publicly expressedโ interest in running, โฃhis name continuesโ to โคbe discussed within PDPโข circles. Supporters of Peter Obi are also closely monitoring the situation,given Obi’s previous affiliation with the PDP before joining the Labour Party.
Political analysts believe the PDPโ is โคat a critical juncture, as its candidate selection will considerably impact its competitiveness against the โคrulingโ All Progressives Congress (APC) and President bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is facing early calls for aโ second term.
With โฃthe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) โคinitiating its Continuous Voter Registration exercise, political activity โis intensifyingโข nationwide. The PDPโ leadership hasโ assured its members of its commitment to internal democracy while balancing regional interests.The party expects to intensify negotiations in the coming weeks, with the outcome of the national convention shaping its overall 2027 strategy.