A chieftain of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Buba Galadima, has disclosed that the party has officially zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region of the country.

Galadima, an ally of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, made this known on Monday while featuring on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.

According to him, the party is finalising its formal registration process with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that its membership register would be submitted between May 5 and May 6.

“Once we submit, we are set to proceed,” he stated.

Speaking on the party’s zoning arrangement and mode of selecting its presidential candidate, Galadima emphasised that the ticket has been firmly ceded to the South.

“We have zoned the presidential candidature to the South. There is no ambiguity about that,” he said, adding that the party is currently focused on conducting primaries rather than adopting a consensus candidate.

Meanwhile, recent political developments within the NDC have seen notable figures, including Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, and Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, formally align with the party.

Obi, who hails from the South-East, had earlier exited the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following internal disagreements, particularly over the party’s failure to address zoning concerns.

Sources within the party indicated that Obi’s absence from key meetings after the opposition coalition summit in Ibadan was linked to dissatisfaction over the handling of power rotation debates.

The development is seen as part of broader realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with zoning and internal democracy emerging as critical issues shaping party alliances.