A former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has advised the party’s presidential candidate in the last general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to drop his ambition to contest the presidential position in 2027.
According to Bode George, neither age nor the party’s zoning arrangement favours the North to produce the next presidential candidate, hence Atiku should bury the thought of contesting the 2027 polls.
Rather, Chief Bode George appealed to Alhaji Abubakar to focus more on things of national interest and not allow his personal interest to override national interest.
Addressing journalists in his Ikoyi office Lagos, the elder statesman said what Alhaji Abubakar should concern himself more now is to play the role of the big uncle and concern himself with mentorship of the younger generation.
“Our brother was 77 years last year and by 2027, he would be 81 years old. Atiku should be in a situation where he plays a role like the big uncle in the room, for the elders.
“Let’s mentor the younger generation and let’s be consistent with our strong belief on our party norms; otherwise it will be a shame, and I want to give credit to the founding fathers of our party, who met and established the PDP.”
Chief George said, going by the principle of zoning adopted by the founding fathers of the party, since Gen Muhammadu Buhari had spent eight years in office, it is then the turn of the South to produce the next president.
George said failure to adhere to that principle in 2023, made the party to perform badly in the presidential poll.
“The zoning concept which the founding fathers of the party put down has been the best solution for Nigeria as a country. 2027, I can’t tell you don’t contest; our party must be definitive and definitively state that the presidency must still be in the South.
“Former President Muhammad Buhari spent eight years in office, he is from the North. Our party must produce its own presidential candidate from the South. I hope we have learnt from our mistakes.”
On the plan by some politicians to form a mega party, he said some people don’t realise that it takes some time to form a strong party, he however, said the PDP shall remain and will not go into mega arrangement with any political party.
“I heard somebody saying they want to form a mega party, all for what? Is it to win as president? Which mega party? You think you can just do a thing and you will deliver unto the party. Do you know how long it takes to have a solid party?,” Bode George said.
