Member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, Bode George, has stated that the party will field a candidate of southern extraction in the 2027 election.
Naijaonpoint reports that the PDP chieftain made this known while reacting to the declaration by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to support President Bola Tinubu in the next general election.
The former military governor clarified that the opposition party would by no means work for the re-election of Tinubu because he belongs to another political party.
The retired Navy Commodore said the PDP will search for a Southerner and vowed to lead the campaign for whoever will emerge as the flagbearer of the party.
According to the elder statesman, the party’s failure to adhere to its zoning principle was the cause of its current struggles, stressing that the PDP had resolved to put its house in order.
He said, “All these people junketing, do they think that the only man who can be President in 2027 is Bola Tinubu? The PDP will not rally round Tinubu, he is not a member of our party.
“In 2027, it will still be the turn of a southerner, and we will find a southerner in PDP. In 2031, it will go back to the north. I will fight and lead the campaign for whoever will win the flag of the PDP in 2031.
“The PDP is a very organised party. We made a mistake in the last presidential convention that was against the set norm, the procedure and the process in our constitution.
“I believe we have learnt a lesson and we have resolved that never again shall we allow the mess created in 2023 to happen again. The procedure of our convention is the procedure of zoning.
“Section 7 (3c) states, ‘The party shall pursue these aims and objectives by adhering to the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices in pursuance of the principles of equity, justice and fairness.’
“This is still very fresh and current. That convention we had, something went wrong. What political sense does it make by the principles established by the founding fathers of PDP for us to have a candidate from the North in 2023?”
Bode George also weighed in on the wave of defection from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), questioning their motives for jumping ship.
He added, “Those who are moving, are they going to meet an empty party? There are people who are already serving there. It is heartbreaking that people who were elected on the programmes of the PDP are leaving to join another party. I don’t know what their reasons are. What is so pleasing about the other party? Is the electorate happy? They are angry because they are hungry.”