Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has condemned calls to zone the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the North, describing them as selfish and manipulative.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics on Tuesday, George applauded PDP governors and the National Executive Council (NEC) for unanimously zoning the ticket to the South while retaining the chairmanship in the North.
“At the NEC meeting yesterday, we agreed to zone the ticket to the South for the next four years to complete the region’s eight years. But human beings manipulate because they want to grab power, and that is pure self-centredness,” George said.
He thanked PDP governors for their unity, noting that they carefully assessed the situation at their Gusau meeting before deciding that the chairmanship and presidency should not be in the same zone. He described the decision as the end of what he called “existential imbecility” within the party, adding that members who defected in the past were now returning in recognition of fairness and equity.
“It’s refreshing to see us come together as one indivisible party. The more divided a house is, the more defeated it becomes,” he remarked.
On members such as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who worked against the PDP in the 2023 elections, George said the party would not rush into disciplinary measures.
“As a political party, you will have all kinds of characters. We want them to see that we can be accommodating. You can disagree without being disagreeable. But if they fail to roll back and fall in line, the sledgehammer will come,” he warned.
The PDP NEC, meeting in Abuja on Monday, confirmed the South for its 2027 presidential slot, while the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has already adopted President Bola Tinubu as its candidate.