Lere Olayinka, spokesperson to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South is coming too late to make any real political impact.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Olayinka explained that if the party had listened to Wike and other aggrieved members before the 2023 elections, the PDP might not have found itself in its current crisis.
“It is too late because we had the chance of doing the right thing three years ago, but we did not,” Olayinka said. “For instance, if we had agreed with him (Wike), probably the party wouldn’t be where it is today. Now, the head is off already, and we are crying. What we should have done three years ago, we failed to do.”
He recalled that in 2022, Wike and the G-5 governors had insisted that the PDP’s presidential ticket be zoned to the South, arguing that fairness demanded a southern candidate since then-President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, was about to complete his tenure.
Olayinka further noted that the political reality is even tougher now, with the ruling party already fielding a southern president who will be seeking re-election in 2027.
“The second thing that is too late is that you are now saying the president should come from the South. But another party in power already has its candidate from the South, and by 2027, that candidate would have spent four years in office and will still be entitled to another four. So, if you now present a southern candidate to the North, will the North agree to back someone who is starting afresh and could seek a second term in 2031, or will they prefer someone with just four years to serve?” he asked.
Amid this dilemma, the PDP is reportedly exploring options to balance political expectations. There are suggestions that the party is considering former President Goodluck Jonathan, who constitutionally has only four years left to serve, or Peter Obi, who has recently indicated willingness to govern for a single term of four years if given the mandate.
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