A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent meeting with ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
In an appearance on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, George branded the move as inappropriate and self-serving.
Atiku reportedly reached out to Buhari, a prominent member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as part of efforts to build a coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In recent months, Atiku has intensified calls for the formation of a mega opposition party to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. But George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, believes the strategy undermines the party’s internal structures and national unity.
“Those who are now forming mega party, what is the purpose of that mega party?” George questioned. “You’re a member of a solid organization, you want to pull out. You are meeting with Baba Buhari, is he a member of our party? Have you discussed your mega something with anybody else? Do you think it is a private fiefdom? Is PDP a private company?”
George argued that such significant moves should first be tabled and debated within the party framework.
“You bring it within the party. Let us discuss it. Once it is approved, then you move. You don’t just flip flop because of your personal ambition,” he added.
The PDP stalwart was also critical of the delegation that accompanied Atiku to visit Buhari in Daura. According to him, they were predominantly northern.
“Look at General Buhari shaking hands with these guys. Is he a member of our party? We presented you against him, and he flopped you like a little kid, and then you are running there,” George said. “And if you look at the congregation of those who visited Buhari, they are all from one side. Who are the others from our party? No, it’s not done that way.”
George accused Atiku of attempting to sideline the PDP’s internal democratic processes and flout the party’s unwritten zoning arrangement, which calls for a rotation of the presidency between the North and South.
“Is it a private fiefdom? Who was the former president? Was it not General Buhari? Where did he come from? Did he come from Yoruba land or Igbo land? All we are saying is that we have a system of eight years of presidency in the north and eight years of presidency in the south,” George said.
He warned that Atiku’s recent moves appear calculated to secure the PDP’s 2027 presidential ticket for a third time, after previous attempts in 2019 and 2023, without due consideration for party unity or national cohesion.
Rather than rallying around an individual’s ambition, George urged party loyalists to return to the fold and work collectively.
“Come home and work together,” he advised, dismissing the coalition talk as a distraction from the PDP’s core mission.