Former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Bode George, has criticized party members pushing for the 2027 presidential ticket to go to the North. He described these demands as “selfish and manipulative.”

Speaking on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics on Tuesday, August 26, George praised PDP governors and the National Executive Council (NEC) for their decision to keep the party’s chairmanship in the North while allocating the presidential ticket to the South.

“During the NEC meeting yesterday, we agreed that the next presidential ticket should go to the South to complete the eight-year tenure there.

But some people manipulate the situation to seize power, which is purely self-centered,” George said.

He also commended the governors for their fair and courageous decision. “I must thank our governors; they are young and respectable.

They met in Gusau, examined the facts, and agreed that the chairman and president should not come from the same zone,” he added.

George stated that the decision has ended what he called “existential foolishness” in the party and has begun promoting unity, with some defectors already returning. “It’s encouraging to see us come together as one party. A divided house only weakens itself,” he noted.

On the topic of PDP members who opposed the party during the 2023 elections, including FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, George said the party would not act too quickly with punishments.

“In a political party, you will encounter different personalities. How you manage them affects the voters’ perception.

We want to show that we can accommodate disagreements without being harsh. But if they refuse to align with the party, strict actions will follow,” he warned.

The PDP’s NEC formally zoned the 2027 presidential ticket to the South during a meeting on Monday in Abuja. Meanwhile, the ruling APC has already endorsed President Bola Tinubu as its candidate for the next election.