Chief Bode George, a respected elder statesman and former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has declared that the party will not present a northerner as its presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a gathering organized by the Lagos State chapter of the PDP to celebrate what was described as the party’s political resurgence, George emphasized that zoning remains a foundational principle of the PDP and must not be compromised.
“There is no chance that our party will have somebody from the North in 2027. That would be an insult to the memory of our founding fathers,” he said.
George, who once served as Military Governor of Ondo State, warned that going against the PDP’s zoning arrangement is equivalent to "dancing on the graves" of the party’s pioneers, including the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, who, despite losing the party’s presidential ticket in the past, remained committed to the PDP.
“Ekwueme didn’t destroy the party when he didn’t win. That’s what integrity looks like,” he added.
On the recent wave of defections and coalition formations within the opposition, George accused President Bola Tinubu of using undue influence to pressure PDP governors into defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant.
“Tinubu is using power to coerce our governors, but let me remind him — the power belongs to the people, not one man,” George asserted.
He also addressed those who have left the PDP to join political coalitions aimed at unseating the current administration, saying such moves are short-lived and lack structure.
“Those jumping ship today will come running back tomorrow. A rolling stone gathers no moss,” George warned. “Leaving your father’s house because it has a leaking roof just to become a tenant elsewhere makes no sense.”
George's comments come at a time of growing internal tension within the PDP, as debates over zoning, party loyalty, and coalition politics heat up ahead of the 2027 elections.
