Bode George: No coalition can be stronger than PDP — leaders who left should come back

Bode George, ex-deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asked leaders of the opposition party, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, to remain within its fold and work towards its progress ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking in Lagos on Thursday at a social event tagged “Restitution of restoration”, George described the PDP as a resilient and reborn political party that offers the strongest platform for political ambitions in Nigeria.

He appealed to aggrieved members, including former Senate President David Mark—who is the interim national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)—to return to the PDP fold.

He argued that no coalition in the country could rival the PDP’s strength.

“There is no coalition in today’s Nigeria that can be stronger than PDP,” George said.

“The PDP is a reborn political party that has weathered all storms and can never go under. All these leaders must return to this Iroko political party.”

He warned that leaving the PDP to join opposition coalitions dishonours the sacrifices of the party’s founding fathers and amounts to a disservice to the platform that elevated many leaders to national prominence.

George said the internal crisis within the PDP, particularly at the national level, has been resolved, adding that the party has regained its position as the major opposition force in Nigeria.

“With the resolution of issues and return of peace, all reasons cited for forming coalitions are no longer tenable,” he said.

“Those who have attained higher positions on the PDP platform should rethink their decisions.”

On the contentious issue of zoning the presidency to the south in 2027, George reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the arrangement.

He noted that zoning was instituted by the party’s founding fathers to prevent political instability.

“What is the contention about? Why do they want to leave the PDP? They want to be presidential candidates. Positions are zoned in the PDP,” he said.

“The founding fathers zoned positions because lack of zoning led to the collapse of the first and second republics.”