The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) intensified high-level consultations in anticipation of a pivotal National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled to affirm its national convention in November 2025 and ratify the report of its zoning committee, chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Duoye Diri. Prior to the 102nd NEC session, three primary organs of the party – the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Caucus, and the Board of Trustees (BoT) – held separate meetings to meticulously harmonise their agenda. These consultations were preceded by a meeting of the seven PDP governors in Zamfara State, where they vowed to resist any attempts to derail the national convention planned for Ibadan, Oyo State.

The NWC, responsible for the day-to-day administration of the party, comprises key officials such as the National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman (South), National Secretary, National Treasurer, and National Youth Leader, among others. Meanwhile, the PDP National Caucus includes the national chairman, current and former governors, serving and past principal officers of the National Assembly, and members from both the NWC and BoT. The NEC meeting in Abuja was considered crucial by many PDP leaders, as the approved zoning formula would dictate the party's power-sharing arrangements between Nigeria's North and South, as well as among the six geopolitical zones. This decision was set to define the region from which the PDP's presidential candidate would emerge, with stakeholders in various zones then typically micro-zoning other national offices to ensure balance and stability.

Ahead of the NEC meeting, a summit on zoning was held last Thursday, where PDP leaders from the South-West, South-South, and South-East regions resolved to present a united front. Notable attendees included Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Senator Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, and Governor Diri of Bayelsa, with Governor Mbah of Enugu State represented by his deputy. Other prominent PDP chieftains present were former Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom, ex-Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun, former presidential candidate Ben Obi, and former deputy national chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George. However, a separate group of southern PDP leaders subsequently dissociated themselves from the outcomes of this particular meeting held in Lagos.

According to the official timetable and schedule of activities for the PDP's 2025 elective national convention, the primary objective of the Abuja NEC meeting was the review and adoption of the 44-member zoning committee's report. Following the anticipated seamless ratification of the zoning formula, the PDP planned to commence zonal meetings from Tuesday to deliberate on national offices, with these discussions expected to conclude by September 1. As of Sunday, only the governors had publicly affirmed their commitment to proceeding with the convention, while other PDP organs had not yet made further comments on these developments.

The PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) ultimately resolved to zone the party's presidency to the South, concurrently retaining the National Chairman position in the North. This decision has been widely interpreted as a significant vindication of the stance taken by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the G-5 group back in 2022. Lere Olayinka, the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, commented on the zoning, questioning whether the party had finally acknowledged its past error of not heeding Wike and the G-5 three years prior.

Wike and the G-5 had consistently argued that the PDP's presidential candidate and its National Chairman should not originate from the same geopolitical zone. Specifically, they insisted that with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a Northerner, having emerged as the presidential candidate, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, also from the North, ought to resign to allow for a National Chairman from the South. Ayu, however, steadfastly refused to resign, with the backing of Atiku and his allies. This internal dispute is largely seen as a contributing factor to the party's