25th April , 2025
Oyedapo Oyewole
News desk
A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf, has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step aside from pursuing the 2027 presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging a return to the party’s original zoning arrangement to restore internal cohesion.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Yusuf attributed the ongoing crisis within the PDP to what he described as the failure of key leaders to place the party’s unity above personal political ambition.
“If I had my way, I would advise former Vice President Atiku to relinquish the PDP ticket. Let it go to the South. Even if we don’t win the presidential election, it would at least signal a return to our founding principles where positions are zoned equitably,” he said.
He emphasized that the South-South and South-East regions, long considered the party’s strongholds, have been increasingly alienated due to perceived marginalization in recent nomination cycles.
“You can’t keep sidelining regions that have historically been the backbone of the party. When people realise that due to the numerical advantage of one section in the primaries they have no realistic shot at the ticket, it breeds frustration and disillusionment,” he noted.
Yusuf, who represented the Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency in the 9th Assembly, described the PDP’s current turmoil as self-inflicted and blamed party governors for exacerbating the problem by turning a blind eye — ostensibly to justify their eventual defection to rival platforms.
The PDP has been battling internal fractures since its loss in the 2023 general elections, which triggered a wave of defections. On Wednesday, the party suffered another major setback as Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy Monday Onyeme, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and several other party stalwarts decamped to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Yusuf warned that unless the party returns to its zoning tradition and reins in personal ambitions, it risks further erosion of its relevance ahead of 2027.
