“In 2023, I told them — it’s in our Constitution and tradition — if one region produces the National Chairman, another should take the Presidential Candidate,” Wike said. “But because of selfish interests, they manipulated the system. They said zoning would come later. Before we knew it, some people had already bought forms. We laughed, realizing they had no intention of zoning.”
He criticized the party’s handling of the zoning arrangement, saying a single zone ended up with both the Chairman and the Presidential ticket. “We warned them that this back-and-forth would come at a cost. They dismissed us with arrogance, claiming victory was certain. Now, look where the party is.”
Wike challenged the party to be transparent ahead of the 2027 elections. “Where are you zoning the Presidency now? Some people say it’s not yet time. How long will you keep playing this game, thinking you’re being smart?”
He accused some party leaders of attempting to use the upcoming National Convention to repeat the 2023 playbook — letting the South produce the Chairman while denying the region a shot at the Presidency.
“Today, Nigeria has a Southern President. Why not come out clearly and declare that the PDP’s 2027 candidate will also come from the South? You don’t want to do that. You want to play the same game again. It will backfire,” Wike warned.
He concluded by cautioning against further political maneuvering: “Let Nigerians know your direction now. Don’t come tomorrow blaming others. I’m telling you now — this old game won’t work. Don’t say later that Wike didn’t warn you.”
