PDP Lost 2023 Poll For Failing To Zone Presidential Ticket To South — Gov Mohammed

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has attributed the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) failure in the 2023 presidential election to its refusal to zone the ticket to southern Nigeria. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, the governor stressed that the party ignored the principle of rotational power, an unwritten arrangement that has defined Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999.

According to him, the PDP decision to throw the ticket open paved the way for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to emerge as candidate, a choice that alienated many stakeholders and further deepened regional mistrust. “Life is always a learning process. When we did it [throwing the ticket open] in 2023, it was not a pleasant experience, and that was why we lost,” Mohammed said. He added that the presidency, in a multi-ethnic society like Nigeria, must be driven by consensus and equity rather than the ambition of a single individual.

The G-5 Revolt and PDP Internal Party Warfare

The fallout from the party’s open-ticket policy was most evident in the rebellion of the PDP G-5 governors, led by then-Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. These governors openly resisted Atiku’s candidacy, insisting that the PDP had betrayed southern Nigeria by failing to zone the position to the region after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure in the North.

The disagreement fractured the party in the build-up to the polls, with Wike and his allies working against the PDP at the national level. Wike eventually backed Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that proved decisive in the election outcome. Tinubu later rewarded him with the post of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Mohammed noted that the intra-party disunity weakened the PDP’s electoral fortunes and handed victory to its rival.

PDP Learning from Past Mistakes: The 2027 Strategic Repositioning

In an effort to rebuild trust and reclaim national relevance, the PDP has now resolved to zone its presidential ticket to the southern region for the 2027 elections. The decision, Mohammed said, is an attempt to correct the mistakes of 2023 and demonstrate the party’s commitment to fairness and balance. “When my party decided that we would zone this [ticket] to the South, I had no qualms because I knew it was for the common good and not about personal interest,” the governor explained.

He argued that zoning is not merely a political formula but a stabilising mechanism for Nigeria’s fragile unity. With President Tinubu concluding his first term in 2027, the PDP hopes to present a formidable southern candidate capable of uniting the opposition and mounting a serious challenge against the ruling APC. Mohammed expressed confidence that this repositioning would restore the party’s credibility ahead of the polls.

Religious Balance and the Christian-Muslim Ticket Strategy

Beyond regional equity, Mohammed emphasised the importance of religious balancing in Nigeria’s politics. He cautioned against repeating what he described as the APC’s “mistake” of fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023, which, according to him, failed to reflect the country’s diversity. He maintained that the PDP must field a Christian from the South as its presidential candidate and pair them with a Muslim from the North to ensure inclusivity.

“What Nigerians need is fairness. We need a Christian from the South to emerge as a presidential candidate, so that he will lead the majority of Christian southerners to come and pick the majority Muslim vice president in the North,” Mohammed argued. He stressed that Nigeria is not yet at a stage where religious and ethnic considerations can be dismissed, warning that any political party that disregards these realities risks alienating critical voting blocs.

The Makinde-Mohammed Partnership Proposition

Amid speculations of possible presidential pairings, Mohammed floated the idea of running on a joint ticket with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde. He described such a combination as a “perfect match” that would blend competence, regional representation, and religious balance. While dismissing claims that he was already being positioned as a running mate, Mohammed insisted that what matters most is that the PDP fields credible candidates who reflect Nigeria’s diversity.

“A Seyi Makinde–Bala Mohammed ticket can even match better. What Nigerians need is capacity and pedigree, which Seyi and I have demonstrated at the subnational level,” he said. The governor, however, noted that the party remains open to several credible options in the South, stressing that unity and inclusiveness should guide PDP’s choices. He reaffirmed his personal readiness to either contest or support whichever southern candidate emerges, provided the ticket reflects justice, balance, and competence.