...sets 2031 return to North
The resolution was adopted on Saturday at the party’s inaugural national convention in Abuja after a motion was formally moved by the lawmaker representing Ogbaru.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has agreed to field its 2027 presidential candidate from the South on a single four-year tenure, a move widely seen as a strategic opening for former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, and other southern aspirants.
The resolution was adopted on Saturday at the party’s inaugural national convention in Abuja after a motion was formally moved by the lawmaker representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Afam Victor Ogene.
Raising the motion, Ogene anchored his proposal on equity and internal balance, urging the party to institutionalise rotation in its power-sharing structure. Delegates adopted it overwhelmingly, fixing the South for 2027 and returning the slot to the North in 2031.
The decision drew loud applause at the convention, with party members describing it as a stabilising framework ahead of the general election.
For Obi, the zoning arrangement formed a central pillar of his political messaging at the convention, as he framed his engagement with the NDC as part of a broader push for national rebuilding.
“We are not changing political platforms for convenience,” he said. “We are doing so because we want a credible platform to pursue a new Nigeria.”
He added that the country urgently needed a shift in leadership philosophy, insisting: “Nigeria is not poor. What we have is a failure of leadership and governance.”
Obi warned against what he described as the shrinking democratic space and the dangers of political domination.
“We cannot allow Nigeria to drift into a one-party system,” he said. “Democracy survives only when there is genuine competition, accountability and choice.”
He also linked his political ambition to economic and security concerns, arguing that national transformation must be the core of any leadership project.
“We want a Nigeria where people are safe, where children are in school, and where hard work actually means survival and dignity,” he said.
Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, also endorsed the zoning arrangement, describing it as consistent with internal fairness.
“I support the decision to zone the presidential ticket to the South so that the region can complete its eight years,” he said.
Earlier, the national leader of the party, Seriake Dickson, said the party had faced institutional hurdles before securing registration from INEC, describing the zoning decision as “in the national interest.”
National Chairman of the NDC, Moses Cleopas, said the party was positioning itself as a credible opposition force ahead of 2027.
“Our mission is clear: to promote governance founded on integrity, competence and inclusiveness,” he said, adding that the party would focus on youth empowerment, inclusion and economic reform.