The resolution was ratified during the party’s inaugural national convention on Saturday in Abuja following a motion introduced by the member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Afam Victor Ogene.

Delegates at the convention overwhelmingly backed the proposal that the NDC presidential ticket should be retained in the South for only one four-year tenure starting from 2027, with the presidency expected to rotate back to the North in 2031.

The announcement sparked jubilation among delegates and supporters at the convention ground, with many describing the move as a calculated effort to galvanise support from the southern region ahead of the next electoral cycle.

Addressing the convention, Obi, a former Labour Party presidential candidate, declared that the movement was focused on lifting Nigeria out of poverty, insecurity, and leadership failure.

“We are not changing political platforms for transactional reasons.

“We are making a principled decision to find a platform that gives us the opportunity to build a new Nigeria that is possible,” he stated.

He cautioned against moves to weaken opposition politics in the country and turn Nigeria into a one-party state by the same people who once benefited from democracy.

“Today in Nigeria, beneficiaries of democracy are becoming agents of the destruction of democracy,” he said.

“We must insist that Nigeria cannot become a one-party state. Nigeria must remain a democracy and we are determined that in 2027 there will be free, fair, and credible elections.”

Going further, Obi decried the economic woes and security challenges across the country, saying over 140 million Nigerians currently live in multidimensional poverty, with millions of youths unemployed.

“Nigeria is not a poor country; it is a country trapped in poverty by poor leadership and governance,” he declared.

He assured that the NDC would pursue policies aimed at transforming Nigeria from a consumption-based economy to a production-driven economy, restoring national security, and rebuilding public trust in governance.

“We want a Nigeria where citizens are safe whether in Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Benue, Rivers, or anywhere else in the country,” Obi added.

In his remarks, former Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Kwankwaso, expressed full support for the decision to zone the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the South, saying the move reflected the party’s power-sharing arrangement and commitment to fairness.

Addressing delegates, supporters, and party stakeholders, he said, “I support the decision to zone the presidential ticket to the South so that the region can complete its eight years.

“This is in line with the zoning process and party agreement,” he added, while urging Nigerians and party supporters to participate in the party’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 elections.

In his submission, the national leader of the NDC and former Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, condemned the intimidation of opposition parties by the establishment and decried the shrinking democratic space.

“The Nigerian opposition landscape is heavily compromised, intimidated, and constricted,” Dickson said.

He disclosed that the party had endured years of legal and administrative hurdles before eventually securing registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) earlier this year.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission complied and issued us a certificate of registration in February this year,” he stated.

“Contrary to propaganda, there is no appeal in any court against that decision and INEC has duly registered our party.”

He explained that “in the national interest and in line with the principles upon which the NDC was established, we have taken a historic resolution on zoning.”

In his address, the national chairman of the party, Moses Cleopas, said the NDC was founded on the principles of justice, inclusion, accountability, and national development.

According to him, the convention marked a major milestone in the democratic journey of the party and its supporters across the country.

Saying the NDC is positioning itself as a major opposition party ahead of the 2027 elections, he stated, “Today we gather not merely to hold a convention, but to write a new chapter in the democratic history of our dear nation, Nigeria.”

He continued, “For years our leaders and members endured administrative bottlenecks, institutional delays, and political frustrations, yet we refused to surrender,” adding that the eventual registration of the NDC was “a victory for constitutional democracy and the Nigerian people.”

On the state of the nation, he lamented harsh economic hardship, unemployment, inflation, and insecurity plaguing citizens.

“Millions of Nigerians can no longer afford to provide for their families. Small businesses continue to collapse under severe economic pressures,” Cleopas said.

Beyond rhetoric, Cleopas declared that “true opposition must provide ideas, direction, accountability, and credible alternatives for national progress.”

He affirmed that the party remained committed to “issue-based politics, constructive engagement, and people-oriented governance.”

Going further, Cleopas stated that the NDC would prioritise youth empowerment, women inclusion, institutional reforms, and economic productivity if given the opportunity to lead.

“Our mission is clear: to promote governance founded on integrity, competence, and inclusiveness.

“To our youths, I say your future matters, your voice matters and your participation matters. Do not abandon the democratic process,” he said.

To party members and delegates, he called for unity and commitment to internal democracy, saying, “Differences of opinion are natural in democratic organisations, but we must always rise above personal ambition for collective national progress.”

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