Bode George: PDP zoning 2027 ticket to south resolves existential imbecility

Bode George, former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the party’s decision to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the south ended its “existential imbecility”.

On Monday, the national executive committee (NEC) of the PDP announced the zoning of the ticket to the region.

The party added that it is committed to democracy, to defending the interests and well-being of all citizens, and to working hard to regain power at the centre.

Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Lunchtime Politics’ on Tuesday, George praised the decision of PDP governors and the party’s NEC.

The PDP chieftain described those opposing the resolution as “selfish and manipulative”.

“Unanimously, in that NEC meeting, we agreed to zone the ticket to the south for the next four years to complete the eight years in the south,” George said.

“But human beings manipulate because they want to grab power, and it’s nothing but self-centredness.”

He commended the governors for “telling themselves the truth” during their meeting in Gusau, adding that their stance resolved the “existential imbecility” in the party.

George said the decision would strengthen unity, noting that members who left the PDP were beginning to return because fairness and equity had been upheld.

“It’s refreshing to see us come together as one indivisible party,” he said.

“The more divided a house is, the more defeated it becomes.”

Asked how the PDP would handle members who worked against the party in the 2023 election, including Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT); and Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo; George said the party would not act hastily.

“As a political party, you will have all kinds of characters, and your ability to manage those characters will impact positively on the electorate,” he said.

“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.”

Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, former presidential candidate and chieftain of the PDP, said on Monday that the party’s decision “means that if you are a northerner, you should find another party”.