Olayiwola Matthew
Senate Minority Leader and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Abba Moro, has admitted that the opposition erred by presenting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, Moro said the decision “backfired” as Nigerians resisted the idea of a northern candidate succeeding another northern president. He described the choice as a strategic blunder that weakened the party’s chances.
“In 2022, the PDP threw open the zoning arrangement in order to put its best foot forward. But that decision backfired because people opposed having a northern candidate succeed a northern president. For part of that reason, PDP lost the election,” he said.
The lawmaker welcomed the party’s recent resolution to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the South, while the North retains the position of National Chairman, describing it as a move rooted in fairness and unity.
“This time, virtually all of us agreed a mistake was made in 2023. Fielding Atiku was an error. For 2027, we have reconciled and decided the ticket should go South, where most Nigerians believe it should have been in the first place,” Moro stated.
He further described the party’s loss as “monumental” and “disastrous,” but expressed optimism that zoning the ticket southward would help reposition the PDP ahead of the next election.