PDP Members Demanding Ticket Zoning To The North Are Selfish — Bode George

Bode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has condemned demands for the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to be zoned to the North, labeling such calls as “selfish and manipulative.”

Speaking on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics on Tuesday, August 26, George praised the PDP governors and the National Executive Council (NEC) for their decision to keep the party’s chairmanship in the North while zoning the presidential ticket to the South.

“Unanimously, in that NEC meeting yesterday (Monday), we agreed to zone the ticket to the south for the next four years to complete the eight years in the south. But human beings manipulate because they want to grab power, and it’s nothing but self-centredness,” George said.

He lauded the governors for what he called a courageous and equitable decision. “I must emphatically thank all our governors; they are respectable young men. They held a meeting in Gusau and told themselves the truth, examined the facts and came up to say, ‘Look, there is no question of the chairman and president being in the same zone,’” he added.

George noted that this decision has ended what he described as “existential imbecility” within the party, fostering unity and prompting some defectors to return. “It’s refreshing to see us come together as one indivisible party. The more divided a house is, the more defeated it becomes,” he said.

Regarding members who opposed the PDP during the 2023 general elections, such as Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Seyi Makinde, Oyo State Governor, George stated that the party would not rush to impose punitive measures.

“As a political party, you will have all kinds of characters, and your ability to manage those characters will impact positively on the electorate. We want them to see that we can be accommodating. You can disagree without being disagreeable. We’ve given these characters some time, but if they cannot roll back and fall in line, then the sledgehammer will be brought on them,” he warned.

On Monday in Abuja, the PDP’s NEC officially zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South. Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has already selected President Bola Tinubu as its candidate for the election.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli