Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, has shared why former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ended up as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the 2023 presidential election.

Speaking shortly after the PDP’s National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting in Abuja on Monday, Moro explained that the party has now zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.

This means only southern aspirants will contest in the party’s primaries ahead of the election.The issue of zoning has been one of the biggest problems within the PDP, causing serious divisions.

It was also a major reason why some members, including former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, worked against the party during the 2023 general elections.

In 2023, the PDP threw its ticket open to all regions, which allowed Atiku, a northerner, to emerge as the party’s candidate. Moro suggested that this was a deliberate move because the party believed Atiku was its strongest choice at the time.

During an interview on Arise News, Moro explained that the PDP focused on presenting its best candidate, without considering zoning. He admitted, however, that the decision eventually backfired.

He added that the decision to zone the 2027 ticket to the South was taken in the interest of equity and fairness. Moro also stressed that the PDP is now working to rebuild and become a stronger opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.