PDP Zoning to South “Too Late,” Says FCT Minister’s Aide Olayinka
By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News
Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Olayinka argued that the move comes too late to benefit the party, pointing out that President Bola Tinubu, already from the South, may complicate acceptance of another Southern president by Northern voters in 2027.
He said, “Wike saying it’s too late, it’s too late already. What will zoning give PDP now? Zoning to the South when you already have a sitting president from the South and he will recontest in 2027… Going by the issue of equity, will the people from the North be comfortable with a new president from the South that will be coming to say he will spend eight years?”
Olayinka also highlighted concerns about adherence to Nigeria’s Federal Character principle, warning against concentrating political offices in a single region. He referenced Wike’s 2022 suggestion that the PDP Chairman should shift to the North if the presidential candidate hails from the North, noting that this principle has not been properly observed.
Further, Olayinka criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of lacking integrity. He blamed Atiku’s refusal to follow zoning arrangements as a factor in the PDP’s loss during the 2023 presidential election. “What kind of integrity will someone have who has moved from one party to another multiple times within our democratic experience? What manner of integrity should a person preach to us?” he questioned.
The FCT Minister’s aide’s comments underscore ongoing debates within Nigerian politics over regional zoning, party loyalty, and electoral strategy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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