- Bode George called on Atiku Abubakar to retire from presidential ambitions, urging the PDP to embrace younger leadership for the country’s future
- Former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Bode George, warned party members about prioritising personal ambitions over national unity, urging reconciliation
- Bode George urged reconciliation between Wike and Fubara, criticising party leaders for not resolving the ongoing conflict in Rivers State
Chief Bode George, the former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called on Atiku Abubakar, the party's presidential candidate in the 2023 election, to abandon any plans of running for president again in 2027.
In a video that surfaced online, George urged Atiku to step aside and allow younger candidates to take the lead, emphasising that Nigeria needs fresh ideas and faces in the political arena.
“You’ve been contesting since 1993, don’t waste your time again in 2027. Give others a chance. Nigeria needs fresh faces and ideas,” George said in the video, addressing Atiku directly.
At a press conference held at his office in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Thursday, November 21, George further appealed to Atiku, reminding him of his longstanding ambition to become president and advising him to embrace the role of an elder statesman.
“You will be 81 years old in 2027, and you have been contesting for the presidency since 1993. This is the time for you to calm down and act like an elder. I appeal to you in the name of the Almighty Allah that you serve, to take it easy and leave everything for posterity,” George urged.
The PDP stalwart also expressed concerns about the current state of the party, warning that personal interests were threatening to tear it apart. He criticised some members of the party for prioritising individual ambitions over the collective good of the nation. He described these members as "divisive, arrogant, haughty," and accused them of secretly collaborating with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) while failing to formally defect.
“We are where we are today because of a self-inflicted crisis. We should bury our individual ambitions now and not allow the PDP to crumble, please,” George stated.
He then called on the elders within the party to step in and mediate, emphasising the importance of focusing on the national interest rather than personal gain.
Particularly, George expressed his frustration with the ongoing crisis in Rivers State involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the state’s governor, Siminalayi Fubara. He urged Wike to cease his efforts to undermine Fubara and called for reconciliation.
“My advice to Wike is very simple. You are my political son. I am therefore appealing to him to cool off immediately,” George said, acknowledging the grievances Wike may have following the party’s presidential contest but stressing the need for unity.
He further questioned the actions of some party members who, rather than mediating between Wike and Fubara, were fueling the conflict for selfish reasons.
George expressed concern about the role of certain party elders who, he claimed, were encouraging Wike to undermine Fubara. He questioned why these leaders were not working to resolve the conflict and bring the party back together.
“What exactly is the offence of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State? Why are the party leaders not eager to mediate and bring both groups to normalcy?” George asked.
The PDP veteran also took issue with the concept of godfatherism in Nigerian politics, noting that Fubara, who was helped into power by Wike, should not be expected to act as a subordinate to his predecessor. He called on party leaders to mediate and prevent further divisions, stressing that the party's future depended on resolving these internal conflicts.
“The PDP cannot continue like this. Why can’t we learn from our past mistakes?” George concluded, urging party members to set aside their personal ambitions for the sake of the party's survival and progress.
2027 polls: Let’s fix PDP to save Nigeria — Saraki, Makinde make appeal
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that as Nigeria approached the 2027 general elections, two key figures within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State called on PDP’s stakeholders to unite and revitalise the party in order to offer a clear, hopeful path for Nigeria’s future.
The two leaders made the appeal on Wednesday, November 6, during the inauguration and unveiling of the Board of Governors of the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) in Abuja.
