2027: Obi Supporters Intensify Push for Southern Zoning in ADC

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Supporters of former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, have intensified their campaign for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to allocate its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.

An ADC leader who supports Obi, and who spoke to Sunday Punch anonymously due to fear of internal backlash, said that zoning the ticket to the South remains the most strategic and effective way to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the next election.

According to the source, Obi commands strong national support, arguing that a southern presidential ticket would further solidify the rising opposition movement.

He explained, “Party leaders are beginning to understand that if the goal is to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is from the South, then zoning the ticket to the South will allow southern presidential aspirants within the ADC to contest, and one of them will emerge.

“When that happens, it becomes much easier—this is actually the surest route to defeating President Tinubu in 2027. Anything else will put the coalition at a disadvantage.”

The chieftain clarified that Obi’s supporters are not pushing for confrontation but advocating for broad consultation across the party.

“What we want is for the presidential ticket to be zoned to the South, but we are not fighting anyone. We intend to consult widely and ensure every member or stakeholder understands why the ticket should be allocated to the South. We have credible individuals,” he added.

Party Leaders Warn Against Zoning

However, senior ADC figures have cautioned against what they consider premature zoning demands. The Chairman of the ADC Chairmen’s Forum and Kogi State chairman, Kingsley Ogga; the forum’s secretary and Edo State chairman, Kennedy Odion; and the Adamawa State chairman, Arabi Mustapha, warned that enforcing zoning could fracture the coalition and inadvertently strengthen the ruling party.

Ogga advised Obi’s supporters to prioritize the wider interest of the party over personal ambitions, insisting that those calling for zoning “do not mean well for the party.”

Echoing this view, Mustapha warned that insisting on a specific region or aspirant reflected narrow political thinking.

He said, “My response to them is simple: their thinking is short-sighted. They need to look beyond narrow interests.

“Nigeria is divided into North and South. So pushing for a particular individual—whether it is someone from the South backing Peter Obi, or someone from the North insisting on Atiku Abubakar—is not what the country needs at this moment.”

He stressed that Nigeria needs a leader who can rescue it from its present difficulties, not a debate driven by regional divisions or personal endorsements.

“Nigeria needs someone strong enough to pull the nation out of its current state. Right now, what we have is not a functioning government; what we see are individuals occupying positions of authority in a dictatorial manner,” Mustapha said.