Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has alleged that some northern members of the party aspiring for the 2027 presidential ticket are working for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking at a press conference, Bode George said those who supported the 2023 presidential candidate of the party from the northern part gave Tinubu the President and a repeat of that fiasco will lead to the end of PDP in 2027.

Bode George reiterated that it is the turn of the South to produce the presidential candidate of the party in 2027. He said: “As a life member of the Board of Trustees (BoT), the upper chamber and the conscience of our party, I am raising the alarm today that our party is at the precipice of a looming crisis if pending critical party issues are not urgently addressed.

“I raised the same alarm in the build-up to the February 25 and March 18, 2023, general election but some forces in the party ignored these warnings. We have seen the results today. As one of the leaders of our party in Nigeria, I have a huge responsibility to raise the alarm so that the PDP does not go into the dustbin of history in 2027.

“I want to sound a note of warning to some gladiators in our great party, the PDP. If care is not taken, the party may become a ‘Garbage heap of history’ in 2027. God forbid this should happen to PDP. So, this is the time for all members of the PDP to be concerned about the future of our great party. Party unity and inclusiveness of all members are ingredients to a viable strategy for our future electoral victories.

“Some might say 2027 is still far away but realistically, it is not. In a few weeks, we will be entering 2024 and by 2026, politicking will start for the 2027 elections. We should not also forget that we have off-cycle elections in Ondo and Edo states. So, while I reiterate my solidarity with the tenets of our party constitution, I cannot remain passive when the collective unity of this party is fragmented.

“How we collectively address the issues at stake will be a major determinant of the fate of this party in months and years to come. We are determined to ensure that the PDP returns to the Presidential Villa in Abuja on May 29, 2027. But, we can only go back to Aso Rock if we are united, not divided.

“So, I don’t understand the rhetorics in some quarters these days that a member of the party from the North is strategising or plotting to return as the presidential candidate of our party in 2027. A Northerner cannot be the presidential candidate of our party in 2027, pure and simple. The earlier some members pushing this agenda know this truth, the better for our collective sanity. I have nothing against Northerners.

“My best friend is from the North but PDP members must understand this reality before it is too late that a PDP member from the Southern part of the country must be our candidate and we must all support him to defeat the APC candidate in the 2027 elections.

“Until 2031, nobody should think of contesting for the presidential ticket of our party from the North. The real elders in our party should stand up and say the truth. The truth may be bitter but it must be said without any emotion or else, the founding fathers of our party, some of whom have exited this world, will not forgive us.

“Since 2015, we have seen how the APC-led presidency has continued to destroy the economy, burning the bridge that binds us together. Nigerians are waiting for us in the next general elections but to think of a Northerner as our saviour in 2027 is a joke taken too far.

“I still don’t believe the story but, according to a popular saying, there is no smoke without fire. If it is true, the outcome will be calamitous. This is a ‘clear and present danger’ that may, eternally, work against our party. The moment you remove justice, fairness and equity from any system, organisation or group, failure is knocking at the door.

“I cried loudly before the last general elections that we cannot shut out the South from our strategy and hope to win. Two Northerners emerged as our Presidential candidate and National Chairman. We all saw the outcome.

“I can boldly say that those who supported that idea gave the opportunity for Tinubu to become the president today and a repeat of that fiasco will lead to the end of PDP in 2027. I want to alert Nigerians that the primitive agenda that led to the PDP losing the February 25, 2023 presidential election is rearing its ugly head again,” he said. (New Telegraph)

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