Abdulrazaq Hamzat has dismissed claims by former Information Minister, Jerry Gana, that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.

Speaking in reaction to Gana’s remarks made during a recent television interview, Hamzat described the assertion as “inaccurate and constitutionally untenable,” insisting that no constitutionally recognised organ of the PDP had taken such a decision.

Naijaonpoint reports that Hamzat, in a statement released on Sunday, said, “No such decision was reached by any constitutionally recognised organ of the PDP.”

Hamzat further argued that even if informal discussions occurred among northern PDP chairmen, they cannot be enforced as a party decision.

“Even if informal discussions occurred, they do not carry the force of party or constitutional authority and could amount to a breach of the law if enforced. Besides, we have it on good authority that no such consultation was held between the northern chairmen and the professor,” he said.

Hamzat urged PDP leaders to focus on unity, fairness, and legality as the party prepares for its national convention in Oyo State later this year. He praised the efforts of the National Working Committee (NWC), led by Ambassador Umar Damagun, for fostering inclusion and cohesion within the party.

“The propagation of sectional narratives, no matter how well intentioned, could undermine the NWC’s efforts to unite the party and may reverse the gains recorded so far. Only a national agenda, devoid of regional and religious sentiment, could position PDP as the beneficiary of the new wave of national consciousness ahead of 2027,” Hamzat cautioned.

Hamzat cited historical instances where both northern and southern candidates freely contested PDP presidential primaries.

“In the 1999 PDP primaries in Jos, prominent northern politicians, such as Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, contested alongside southern contenders like Chief Alex Ekwueme and General Olusegun Obasanjo, who eventually won. Similarly, in 2003, Rimi and Chief Barnabas Gemade, both from the North, contested the presidential ticket,” he recalled.

He also referenced the 2022 APC primaries, where Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Governor Yahaya Bello from the North contested against southern aspirants, including Bola Tinubu, who ultimately emerged victorious and became the party’s presidential candidate.

To reinforce his argument, Hamzat cited Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits discrimination based on place of origin, ethnicity, or political affiliation.

“Any internal party arrangement, like zoning, which bars qualified Nigerians from contesting for the presidency solely because of their region, would violate the spirit and letter of this constitutional provision. Zoning may serve as a gentleman’s agreement for balancing interests, but it must never become a legal or moral tool of exclusion. The constitution remains supreme,” he said.