PDP Members Demanding Ticket Zoning To North Selfish — Bode George

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has described calls for the party to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the northern region as selfish and manipulative.

The chieftain, who spoke on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics programme on Tuesday praised the decision of PDP governors and the National Executive Council (NEC) to zone the ticket to the southern region while retaining the chairmanship in the North.

“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.

“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,’” George said.

According to him, the decision ended what he called “existential imbecility” in the party. He added that those who defected in the past were already returning, recognising that fairness and equity must prevail.

“It’s refreshing to see us come together as one indivisible party. The more divided a house is, the more defeated it becomes,” George noted.

Addressing how the PDP intends to handle members like the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike; and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who worked against the party in 2023, George explained that the party would not rush into 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,” the PDP chieftain warned.

The PDP, at its NEC meeting in Abuja on Monday, zoned its 2027 presidential slot to the South.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has already adopted President Bola Tinubu as its candidate for the 2027 election.