Former House of Representatives member representing Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, Yusuf, has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to relinquish his bid for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential ticket in future elections. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday, Yusuf emphasized the need for the PDP to return to its foundational zoning arrangement to foster internal peace and unity.
Yusuf argued that while Atiku had represented the PDP in the last two presidential election cycles, it was now time to give the South—particularly the South-East and South-South regions—a chance to produce the party’s presidential candidate. He noted that these regions have long been the backbone of the party and deserve recognition.
“If I have my way, I will advise former Vice President Atiku: leave the PDP ticket. Let it go to the South. Even if we don’t win the presidential election, we would have been seen as returning to our original modus operandi where party positions are zoned,” he stated.
He further warned that continued marginalization of southern regions could lead to disillusionment among party faithful. “Look at the South-South and South-East who have reasonably been the bedrock of the PDP. You just come and pick the ticket—people will start losing hope. The desire of everybody is to get to the peak of their career. If they realize that, due to the dominance of one region in primary elections, they can’t get the ticket, they will become frustrated,” Yusuf added.
The PDP has been in turmoil since its loss in the 2023 general elections. The internal crisis has triggered a wave of defections, with prominent members—including governors and legislators—crossing over to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The most recent defections involve the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori; his deputy, Monday Onyeme; his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa; and several other top PDP figures in the state who all joined the APC on Wednesday.
Yusuf described the ongoing turmoil as a “self-inflicted” crisis, accusing some PDP governors of deliberately allowing instability to fester in order to justify their moves to rival parties.
