The 2027 presidential race is already heating up as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned its ticket to the South, a move that has sparked sharp reactions across the country.

At its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Monday, the party resolved that its next presidential candidate must come from the South. The decision comes as President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), also a southerner, is strongly tipped to seek re-election.

While PDP leaders described the move as a step towards fairness and stability, many northern groups rejected it, accusing the party of marginalisation.

The Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations (JACON) called the zoning unjust and warned it could cost PDP heavily in 2027. According to them, the North, despite being the backbone of PDP’s victories since 1999, has only produced a president for two and a half years, compared to the South’s 13 and a half years.

Similarly, stakeholders from the North-Central zone also kicked against the arrangement. They argued the region has never produced a civilian president or vice president since independence and warned that any party ignoring them would not get their votes.

Some party chieftains, like Abduljabbar Rufai in Kano, admitted the zoning might hurt PDP’s chances in parts of the North but noted the APC could also lose ground if Atiku Abubakar runs on another platform.

On the other hand, party elders such as Chief Bode George hailed the zoning as a fair and strategic choice that would restore unity. PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, also described it as a “turning point” for the party.

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) criticised both PDP and APC for focusing on zoning two years before the elections, saying Nigerians expect solutions to hardship, not power-sharing debates.

With tensions rising, attention is now shifting to possible southern candidates who could emerge, with names like former President Goodluck Jonathan and Labour Party’s Peter Obi already being mentioned.

One thing is clear: the battle for 2027 is shaping up to be another fierce contest between North and South, with zoning once again at the heart of Nigeria’s politics.