A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has dismissed the 2027 coalition, which adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a means to unseat President Bola Tinubu.
News360 Info reports that George, while speaking at a social engagement tagged “Restitution of Restoration” on Thursday in Lagos, urged leaders who have left PDP to return and work towards its progress.
George said the PDP remained a strong political platform, offering great opportunities for its members, stressing that it is only within the party that the interests of the estranged party leaders can be better served.
According to him, party leaders leaving the party to join an opposition coalition are desecrating the grave of the founding fathers of the party, who sacrificed everything to give birth to the party.
He said, “There is no coalition in today’s Nigeria that can be stronger than PDP. The PDP is a reborn political party that has weathered all storm and can never go under. All these leaders must return to this Iroko political party.
“Those forming coalition should not forget they have traveled that way before, and it amounts to nothing and it will be good they remain in the party to help build it.
“It is a disservice to the party whose platform they used to get to higher position in the country.”
Crisis Resolved
George also stated that the PDP crisis, especially at the national level, had been resolved, noting that the party had bounced back to reclaim its position as the major opposition party in the country.
According to George, with the resolution of the issues in PDP and the return of peace, all the reasons cited by the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and others for forming a coalition were no longer tenable.
He said, “The party has weathered the storm, this party is re-born, those that have attained higher position in the country on the platform of the party should do a re-think.
“They should take it easy, there is no way their congregating can pass the PDP strength. They have done it before, there is no major issue of contention in the PDP that can make them leave the PDP.”
No Northern Presidential Candidate
Bode George also reiterated that the party had not changed its decision to zone the presidency to the South in 2027, adding that there is no chance within the party for any northern candidate.
He remarked, “What is the contention about? Why do they want to leave the PDP? They want to be presidential candidate? There is no chance that our party will have somebody from the North in 2027. That would be insulting to the founding fathers of the party, many of whom have passed to the great beyond.
Positions are zoned in the PDP. The founding fathers of the party zoned position because lack of zoning of positions led to the collapse of the First and Second Republic.”
