ABUJA, Nigeria (CHATNEWSTV) — Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday called for the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to be zoned to the South, citing principles of fairness, equity, and national inclusion.
The demand was made during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, where the group also reaffirmed Senator Sam Anyanwu as the party’s substantive National Secretary, in line with a recent Supreme Court judgment.
“Our party cannot continue on a path that disregards its own constitution and foundational values,” the stakeholders said in a communique issued after the meeting. “Equity and justice demand that the South be given the opportunity to produce the next presidential candidate.”
The group expressed concern over what it described as “a dangerous drift toward self-annihilation” within the PDP, warning that internal democracy must be upheld to prevent further division.
Citing the Supreme Court’s verdict, the stakeholders declared that only Senator Anyanwu is constitutionally empowered to issue notices for national meetings.
“Any purported actions or notices issued by anyone other than Senator Sam Anyanwu are illegal, unconstitutional, and therefore null and void,” the communique stated.
The meeting also called for the Acting National Chairman and Senator Anyanwu to jointly notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, including an attached agenda.
The decision comes amid an ongoing leadership tussle between Anyanwu and Sunday Udeh-Okoye over the position of National Secretary. The Supreme Court, however, recently ruled in favor of Anyanwu, and the stakeholders emphasized that the judgment must be respected.
They further urged all party members to support the National Reconciliation Committee headed by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, in a bid to restore unity within the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We must return to the path of law, order, and inclusion,” one stakeholder said during the meeting. “The survival of the PDP depends on it.”
