The battle for key offices in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its 2027 presidential ticket has entered the mind game phase between governors elected on the platform of the party and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike ahead of the November national convention.

The two sides, according to sources, have been working hard at getting the best of deals at the Ibadan convention where officers who will run the party’s affairs and more importantly organise the primaries to pick the PDP candidates for the 2027 elections, will be picked.

Of particular interest to them are the positions of national chairman and national secretary.

The PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) had at its last meeting in Abuja adopted the Douye Diri Zoning Committee’s report which recommended that the national chairman be zoned to the north while the south should produce the presidential candidate and national secretary, among others.

Soon after the adoption of the report by the PDP NEC, leaders of the party in the Southeast, South-South and Southwest agreed on a formula to share the 11 party positions allocated to the south.

Under the agreement, Southeast will produce National Financial Secretary (NFS), Deputy National Secretary (DNS), National Women’s Leader (NWL) and Deputy National Youth Leader (DNYL) while the Southwest will have, in addition to the national secretary, National Auditor (NA) and Deputy National Organising Secretary (DNOS).

From the South-South will come Deputy National Chairman-South (DNC-S), National Publicity Secretary (NPS), Deputy National Treasurer (DNT) and Deputy National Legal Adviser (DNLA).

Party sources informed The Nation that interest groups in the three geo political zones with allegiance to the governors and Wike are engaged in intense networking to out maneuver one another as they gear up for the national convention.

They are looking at supporters who would not only deliver once elected but would remain loyal and committed to their respective groups.

The race for party offices becomes complex, especially in the south, since it is also expected to produce the presidential candidate.

In effect, the state that produces the next secretary cannot reasonably expect to vie for the presidential ticket.

Sources said party members in the Southwest are waiting for Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who is strongly believed to be eyeing the presidential ticket, to make a move to enable them decide who they would put forward to run for secretary.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who is speculated to be interested in staging a return in 2027, has kept the party guessing on his next move.

His aides have consistently rejected suggestions that he would not be joining the race.

Only last week, he met in Abuja with the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, on ‘national issues’.

Details of their discussions are not yet known.

Party sources said Jonathan has not shown any inclination to discuss his speculated interest with PDP leaders even though he is often at his Goodluck Jonathan Foundation office, which is onl’ about 12 minutes’ drive from the PDP national secretariat in Abuja.

Some party elders, including the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, are huge fans of Jonathan and even Obi.

However, some party members, including Ogun State PDP chieftain, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, continue to contend that Peter has been too far from the party and that he appears being too clever, to expect a ticket without going through party primaries.

The Southwest bloc, long aggrieved by its limited chances in the PDP hierarchy, is also positioning itself for more impactful inclusion.

In furtherance of its interests, the two PDP governors in the zone – Seyi Makinde and Ademola Adeleke – lobbied for Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, to host the national convention, and feelers indicate that Governor Makinde, who is considering a shot at the PDP’s 2027 presidential ticket, got a concession for Oyo State to produce a candidate for the National Secretary position zoned to the South and micro-zoned to the South West.

Some members of the party’s National Executive Committee are said to be making efforts to prevail on the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who remains a staunch ally of Wike, to take the position of Deputy National Chairman (South) being zoned to the South/South East but he does not appear to be too keen.

If the move succeeds, party leaders would have the crucial support of both Wike and Anyanwu who may be quite strong for the PDP Governors’ Forum and other party structures at the national convention.

Ahead of the national convention, some state chapters of PDP conducted their wards congresses yesterday.

These include Edo and Adamawa.

Reports said the congresses were peaceful. (The Nation)