Atiku Abubakar, Bode George
By Our Reporter
The former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must produce a Southern candidate in 2027, adding that that the presidential candidate of the party in the 2019 and 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, will be 81 and too old to recontest in 2027.
George while speaking with newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, stressed that the leadership of the PDP should allow the South to produce the party’s presidential candidate in 2027.
He noted that the North had enjoyed eight uninterrupted years with the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
George said: “PDP must produce 2027 presidential candidate from the South.
“Atiku should act like an elder in the room. He should by now learn to play the role of kingmaker and big brother to mentor the government in power and be consistent with the strong belief of the PDP.”
The PDP chieftain added that he was emphasising the zoning arrangement so that the party would not make the mistake it made in 2023 which, he said, led to its defeat.
He further condemned the possibility of the PDP forming a mega party with other political parties ahead of the 2027 election, saying the party should remain on its own to contest for various positions.
George added: “No other party is as entrenched and national in all concepts than the PDP.
“In 2027, I can’t tell anybody not to contest but our party must be definitive that the Presidency must remain in the South since the North has finished its eight years.”
