PDP | ZONING | WILL EQUITY FIND ITS PLACE?

PDP’s Zoning Gamble — Will Equity Trump Ambition?

-EDITORIAL-

As Nigeria’s political landscape begins its slow pivot toward 2027, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has once again turned to zoning, a concept both revered and reviled within its ranksto  chart its future. With the inauguration of a 44-member zoning committee ahead of its November convention, the party is not just allocating offices; it is attempting to reconcile its fractured soul.

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa, now chairing the committee, faces a delicate balancing act. His mandate is clear: deliver a zoning formula that reflects fairness, equity, and strategic foresight. But beneath the surface lies a deeper tension, one that has haunted the PDP since 2015. Zoning, once a tool for inclusion, has become a battlefield for ambition.

The scars are fresh. In 2023, the party’s refusal to zone its presidential ticket to the South, despite eight years of northern leadership under APC, triggered a rebellion led by then-Governor Nyesom Wike. The fallout was swift and brutal: defections, internal sabotage, and another electoral defeat. Now, Wike’s loyalty is being publicly demanded, a move that feels less like reconciliation and more like a warning.

But loyalty, as Acting Chairman Umar Damagum rightly noted, must be earned, not enforced. The PDP’s insistence on “100% loyalty” risks alienating the very voices it needs to rebuild trust. Zoning alone cannot heal the wounds of exclusion, nor can it substitute for genuine consensus.

What the PDP must confront is the philosophical paradox at its core: should leadership be distributed by geography or determined by merit? Can a party that once championed national unity afford to reduce its choices to regional arithmetic?

The answer lies not in the committee’s report, but in the courage of its members to transcend factionalism. If zoning is to be more than a ritual, it must reflect the aspirations of all zones, not just the dominant ones. The North Central, still smarting from the rejection of its claim to the chairmanship, deserves a voice. The South East, long marginalized, must be heard. And the South South, Wike’s stronghold, must decide whether it seeks power or partnership.

As the PDP prepares for its convention, it must remember: zoning is not a shortcut to victory. It is a mirror of the party’s values. If that mirror reflects only ambition and exclusion, then the PDP risks repeating history. But if it reflects fairness, inclusion, and strategic clarity, then perhaps, just perhaps, it can reclaim its place as Nigeria’s true national party.