Elder statesman and former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has made it clear that the party’s 2027 presidential ticket is not up for grabs by the North. Speaking during a gathering of PDP leaders in Lagos on Thursday, the respected politician warned that any move to field a northern candidate would dishonor the party’s foundational values and insult its founding fathers.
At the meeting convened by the Lagos State chapter of the PDP, which was tagged as a celebration of the party’s “restoration,” Chief George was emphatic that zoning principles—core to the PDP’s formation—must be upheld. “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,” he stated solemnly.
He reminded attendees of how late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, despite losing the presidential primary in 1999, chose to remain loyal to the PDP and help it grow. “That is what you call a God-fearing gentleman,” he said, contrasting it with the recent spate of defections.
Chief George also voiced strong concern over the defections rocking the party and accused President Bola Tinubu of pressuring PDP governors to switch sides to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He described those defecting or forming coalitions to challenge Tinubu as “rolling stones that gather no moss.”
“Some are saying they want to form a coalition to unseat Bola Tinubu. But let me tell you, this has been tried before. They always come running back. What they are doing is like leaving their father’s house because the roof is leaking—to go live as a tenant elsewhere. It’s short-sighted,” he warned.
George urged PDP loyalists to stay the course and focus on rebuilding the party from within rather than chasing temporary alliances that rarely endure. “Power belongs to the people of this country, not a single individual,” he said, calling on Nigerians to stay politically vigilant.
His message comes at a time of rising internal tension within the PDP over zoning, leadership, and direction ahead of the 2027 elections.
