Buba Galadima, a close political associate of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has announced that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has officially zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Galadima confirmed that the NDC would submit its membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on either 5 or 6 May, a crucial step in finalising its electoral preparations.
“Once we do that, we are good to go,” he said.
When asked about the party’s zoning strategy and candidate selection process, Galadima stated: “We have zoned the party’s presidential candidature to the south. No missing votes. We’ve zoned it to the south.”
He added that the NDC’s immediate priority is to hold primaries, rather than adopt a consensus candidate.
The announcement follows the formal admission on Sunday of Peter Obi – the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party from the south-east – and Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano, into the NDC. Both politicians had recently left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) amid an internal leadership crisis.
Obi, who had previously voiced dissatisfaction with the ADC’s leadership, was particularly vocal about the need for zoning. He argued that failing to address power rotation could undermine any coalition and erode trust among stakeholders. After an ADC summit in Ibadan, Obi reportedly ceased attending the party’s meetings, signalling growing discontent with its direction.
The NDC’s decision to zone its presidential ticket to the south marks a significant move to unify its southern base as the party strengthens its position ahead of the 2027 elections.
