Former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has described the party’s decision to zone its presidential ticket to the South as a “default campaign” for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu.

The statement follows the PDP’s announcement on Monday that its presidential ticket for the 2027 general election would be zoned to the southern region of the country.

Olawepo-Hashim, speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, said the development was unprecedented in the party’s history.

He said: “What has happened today is unprecedented. PDP has never zoned its presidential ticket before. It means if you are a northerner you find another party.

“Let me tell you, this is my own position. The zoning of the presidency to the South is a default campaign for return of President Asiwaju. This is because those who are mounting this campaign of zoning to the South are the same people who are saying, we are in PDP, but we work for President Asiwaju.

“Look at all of them, almost all of them, the same people say, oh, we are in PDP, but we are committed to President Asiwaju’s reelection, and are saying zone it.

“So it’s a default campaign, for the PDP not to have a viable candidate by those people.”