The Nigeria Democratic Congress has formally zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria while restricting the candidate to a single four-year term, a decision party leaders hope will strengthen internal cohesion ahead of the next general election.
Delegates at the party’s national convention overwhelmingly endorsed the zoning resolution, which was moved by Afam Victor Ogene, the House of Representatives member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency in Anambra State.
Under the arrangement, the presidency will automatically revert to Northern Nigeria after the completion of a single four-year term—a provision designed, according to party insiders, to address longstanding concerns over equity, inclusion and power rotation.
The decision clears the path for former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and other Southern aspirants to purchase presidential nomination forms ahead of the party’s primaries.
Obi recently joined the NDC alongside former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in a political realignment that observers say could reshape the opposition landscape before 2027. While the party has yet to officially unveil its aspirants, political analysts expect both men to emerge as leading figures in the NDC’s calculations.
The zoning strategy, which has been widely interpreted as a move to balance regional interests, could intensify political calculations among major parties as coalition talks continue ahead of the 2027 elections.
