Predicting the future of politics is always challenging, as the landscape is constantly shifting and may continue to, as much as the preparations for the 2027 general elections continue in top gear.
Tribune Online recently reports that the PDP, after its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, announced the decision to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the Southern part of the country.
Based on current political trends, pronouncements, and the historical context of the PDP, here are five southern politicians who may be considered potential contenders for the party’s 2027 presidential ticket:
Peter Obi
A former governor of Anambra State and the 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has a significant national following, particularly among youths. There have been ongoing talks and speculation about a potential alliance or a return to the PDP for Obi, and some within the party have reportedly expressed interest in him as a candidate to challenge the ruling party. His appeal cuts across regional and religious divides, making him a formidable potential candidate.
Tribune Online reports that the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Muhammed Bala of Bauchi State, recently indicated that the party is considering the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) and PDP’s running-mate to Atiku Abubakar in 2019, Mr Peter Obi, and former President Goodluck Jonathan, for the 2027 presidency.
Seyi Makinde
The current Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, is a prominent figure in the PDP, especially in the South-West. He is known for being political savvy and has maintained a strong hold on his state. As an influential governor, he could be a strong voice for the younger generation and a significant contender for the party’s ticket.
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While Makinde has not openly declared interest in vying for the ticket of the party ahead of the 2027 general elections, Tribune Online reports that the governor’s presidential posters have flooded strategic locations in the North, including Kano and major towns in Jigawa State.
Also, a group, known as Nigeria Youths Awareness Group Makinde 2027 (NYAG Makinde 2027), while addressing the press in Kano in May 2025, stated that given the political permutations of the 2027 presidential election, only the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, can move Nigeria forward.
Goodluck Jonathan
A former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, remains a significant figure in Nigerian politics. Since he only served one full term as an elected president, he is considered legally eligible to run for the number one office again. While he has kept a relatively low profile, his name continues to be mentioned in political circles as a potential candidate, and he has a deep base of support, particularly in the South-South.
However, this is not the first time Jonathan’s name will dominate talks around possible candidates to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who ousted him in the PDP in the 2015 general elections. Prior to the 2023 polls, there were pressure on him to run for presidency with speculations that the then-APC leadership was considering as an option. However, Tribune Online reports that the party denied plans to field Jonathan as its 2023 presidential candidate.
Nyesom Wike
The former Governor of Rivers and a current minister in the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, Nyesom Wike, remains a powerful and influential figure in the PDP. Despite his current role in the APC, he has a strong political machinery and a history of being a major player in PDP politics. His past performance in the 2023 PDP presidential primary, where he came second, demonstrates his capacity to jostle for the ticket. However, Wike has not declared his intention to join the 2027 presidential race.
Meanwhile, Tribune Online reports that Wike, an interview with BBC News Pidgin published in May 2025, Wike dismissed speculations surrounding him contesting against the current administration, emphasising his unwavering loyalty to President Tinubu.
Udom Gabriel Emmanuel
The former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and a presidential aspirant in 2023, Udom Emmanuel, may be interested in gunning for the highest political office in the land again. With the PDP’s ticket now zoned to the South, Udom could be a potential candidate as he has a strong track record of governance and is a respected figure in the South-South. His previous participation in the primary election shows his political ambition, and he could be a dark horse candidate if the party decides to look beyond the more prominent figures.
NB: These individuals are well-positioned to capitalise on the PDP’s zoning decision, but the party’s internal dynamics and the evolving political landscape will ultimately determine its candidate.
2027 and the ADC’s Opportunity
The internal wrangling within the PDP is one advantage the ADC coalition is designed to exploit. The ADC presents itself as a more unified, reform-centered alternative, attracting disaffected politicians from the PDP, APC and other parties.
The fact that high-profile figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi have joined the coalition suggests that they see the ADC as a more serious platform to challenge and end the APC’s 12-year rule, than the current opposition PDP.
Like the PDP, Tribune Online reports that that the ADC is also wooing former President Jonathan and according to a source, key figures in the ADC were comfortable with having Jonathan as their presidential candidate and had, in fact, reached out to him.
2027 Zoning: PDP Chieftains React
A stakeholder of the PDP, Oladimeji Fabiyi, has waded into the development, describing the party’s zoning of the presidential ticket to the southern part of the country as a “grave error and deliberate mischief”.
In a recent interview on The Morning Brief on Channels Television, monitored by Tribune Online, Fabiyi stated, “As a member of the PDP for quite a long time, who truly understood the trajectory of PDP, I think what PDP did on this zoning thing was a grave error, and it was deliberate mischief.”
He warned that the decision could destabilise the party and lead to its downfall.
Similarly, another PDP chieftain and a former presidential aspirant, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, faulted the party’s decision, maintaining that the National Executive Committee (NEC) made a “big error” by adopting the zoning decision.
He warned that the move amounts to an endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, stating that those advocating for the zoning are reportedly the same people working for President Tinubu.
Olawepo-Hashim described the move as “unprecedented” in the party’s history.
“Zoning the presidency to the South is a default campaign for the return of President Bola Tinubu. Because those who are mounting this campaign of zoning to the South are the same people who are saying, ‘We are in PDP, but we work for President Tinubu,’” he said.
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