A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf, has issued a stark warning to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging the party leadership to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region of Nigeria or face political extinction. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Yusuf stressed that the PDP risks repeating the errors of the 2023 elections if it fails to embrace equity and regional balance.
Yusuf, a close ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and key PDP figure, Nyesom Wike, maintained that political success cannot be achieved through individual might alone. “No single politician can win an election without collective goodwill,” he asserted. “Zone to the South and see what will happen. But if we continue this trajectory and continue to progress in error, we are postponing the doomsday.”
His remarks echo the position of the influential G5 governors, who met earlier this week and collectively called for the PDP to cede its 2027 presidential ticket to the South. The group, led by Wike, played a critical role in opposing the Peoples Democratic Party’s northern-leaning ticket in 2023 and has remained a powerful force within the party.
Peter Obi’s Return Hinges on Southern Zoning
Yusuf also highlighted the potential return of Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the PDP if the party zones its presidential ticket to the South. He described Obi as a symbol of southern agitation and reform-minded politics, stating that the PDP’s internal dynamics must shift to accommodate leaders like him.
“If today, the PDP ticket is zoned to the South, I have a conviction Peter Obi will be more comfortable coming to Peoples Democratic Party,” Yusuf said. “But if it’s not zoned and the dynamics and dialectics of primaries are allowed to play, he might not, just like he moved when it was not zoned and guaranteed a vice presidency. PDP should do the right thing first.”
Obi, a former Anambra State Governor and former PDP vice-presidential candidate in 2019, defected to the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 elections after it became clear that the PDP would not zone the presidency to the South. His exit, many argue, split the opposition vote and cost the PDP crucial support in southern Nigeria.
Atiku Is Out; PDP Must Rethink Its Future
In a surprising disclosure, Yusuf stated that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar — the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate — is effectively out of the party, now participating in a broader political coalition. This signals a potential realignment within the opposition bloc ahead of the next general elections.
“Atiku is out of PDP; he is in the coalition with a lot of people,” Yusuf said. His comment suggests that the PDP must now chart a new path forward without leaning on Atiku as its presumptive candidate. The shift could open the door to fresh leadership, particularly from the South, and set the stage for a renewed political identity.
Yusuf’s remarks reinforce the sentiment that over-reliance on individual political heavyweights has become a liability for the PDP. He insisted that only a united, strategically inclusive party can pose a credible challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
2023 Defeat Traced to Zoning Controversy, Leadership Failures
Yusuf did not mince words in attributing the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 electoral loss to poor decision-making by the party leadership. Specifically, he blamed Atiku Abubakar for not nurturing his alliance with Peter Obi and for failing to reflect the political demands of southern Nigerians.
“I blame Atiku for the 2023 election loss,” Yusuf said. “If Atiku had not bungled the Obi relationship, if Obi had remained in PDP, and he had picked Obi as vice president, he would have won the election. Obi represented the southern agitations. Nigerians were looking for something different.”
He further argued that the controversial decision to zone the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 presidential ticket to the North was a strategic blunder that fractured party unity and emboldened internal dissent. The fallout from that move continues to reverberate within the PDP ranks, with many southerners feeling sidelined.
Okowa’s APC Defection and the Road Ahead
The former lawmaker also lamented the recent defection of former Delta State Governor and PDP vice-presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, to the APC. Yusuf said the defection was symptomatic of deeper grievances within the party, particularly those that surfaced during the 2023 campaign.
According to Yusuf, the PDP’s internal wounds were worsened by the leadership’s disregard for party unity and southern interests. “The 2023 campaign heightened the grievances of party men,” he noted. “Okowa’s defection is not just a betrayal — it’s a reflection of our failure to maintain cohesion.”
As the Peoples Democratic Party navigates its path toward the 2027 elections, Yusuf’s warning serves as a rallying cry for course correction. Whether the party heeds his call to zone the presidential ticket to the South — and potentially woo back influential figures like Peter Obi — may well determine its political fate in the next electoral cycle
Table of Contents
Discover more from OGM News NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
