Buba Galadima, a political associate of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region of Nigeria.
Speaking on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on Monday, Galadima disclosed that the party would submit its membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on May 5 or 6 as part of its formalisation process.
“Once we do that, we are good to go,” he said.
On zoning and candidate selection, Galadima was emphatic: “We have zoned the party’s presidential candidature to the south. No missing votes. We’ve zoned it to the south.” He added that while the party is open to internal processes, its immediate focus is on conducting primaries rather than adopting a consensus candidate.
The development comes amid recent high-profile defections to the NDC. Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, formally joined the party on Sunday.
Obi had earlier exited the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while Kwankwaso had signalled ongoing consultations with the NDC before making his move. Their departures followed a prolonged internal crisis within the ADC.
Since the all-opposition leaders’ summit held in Ibadan last month, Obi reportedly stayed away from subsequent ADC meetings, amid dissatisfaction over the party’s failure to address zoning arrangements.
The former Anambra governor has consistently advocated for zoning of the presidential ticket, arguing that equitable power rotation is essential for unity within any political coalition and helps build trust among stakeholders.
