- Safiu Kehinde
The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 102nd National Executive Council (NEC) witnessed an unusual scenery on Monday as Seyi-Makinde-for-President posters flooded its National secretariat in Abuja.
Some members of the party had stormed the secretariat with posters and banners promoting the Oyo State Governor as the party’s 2027 Presidential candidate.
As seen in series of posts shared on X, the posters contained Makinde’s image with his now famous “I’m not ready to go into the gutters with anyone” statement he made in response to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.
While the campaigners reignited the speculations on Makinde contesting against President Bola Tinubu, the PDP’s declaration of its zoning of the party’s Presidential candidacy to the South has further fueled the speculations.
The PDP had at the conclusion of the NEC meeting issued a communique confirmed the zoning as recommended by the National Convention Zoning Committee.
As highlighted in the communique, the committee had recommended, “That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Northern Region of the country remain in the Northern Region.
“That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Southern Region of the country remain in the Southern Region.
“That having retained the position of the National Chairman in the Northern Region of the country, the Presidential Candidate of the Party for the 2027 General Election is hereby zoned to the Southern Region.
“That the Regions should immediately micro-zone positions within its Region for implementation.”
While approving the recommendations, the PDP also ratified and confirmed Umar Damagum as its substantial National Chairman pending the party’s National Convention billed to hold in November.
“In recognition of the efforts of the National Working Committee (NWC) under the leadership of the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Iliya Umar Damagum in stabilizing the Party, NEC hereby ratifies and confirms the appointment of Amb. Iliya Umar Damagum as the substantive National Chairman of the Party with effect from today, Monday, 25th August, 2025 until the National Convention holding at Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital on 15th to 16th November, 2025.” The communique partly read.