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Chief Bode George, the former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, has advised former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku, to allow a young politician to contest for president in 2027, asking him to follow Joe Biden’s footsteps.
The President of the United States of America recently stepped down for his deputy, Kamala Harris, to contest the upcoming presidential election.
In a statement on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, George urged Atiku to act like a statesman and allow the PDP to field a young candidate from the South since the former Vice President would have turned 81 by 2027.
“In 2027, Atiku will be 81 years and this is the time for him to embrace President Joe Biden’s concept of allowing the younger generation to run for the highest office in the land.
“I have nothing personal against Alhaji Abubakar. He is my friend but the truth must be told. By 2027, by God’s Grace, I will also be in my 80s. So, what am I looking for in public office as an octogenarian? The same principle should apply to Alhaji Abubakar,” George said.
He said if Atiku is desperate to lead Nigeria, he should wait till 2031, arguing that after the eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari in power, the South must also complete eight years before power can return to the North, where Atiku comes from.
The PDP chieftain said this in reaction to reports that political leaders in the North are planning to return power to their region in 2027.
“In our party, this is the right and logical thing to do in the present political circumstances. But if Alhaji Abubakar is desperate to contest again, I will advise him, as a friend, a party man, and a brother, to wait till 2031. By then, he will be 85 years (old),” he said.
He urged the PDP not to make any move that would destroy the party and the country over the 2027 presidential election, stressing that “our party must strictly follow the concept of Turn-by-Turn Nigeria Limited.
He said the PDP must look for a young southerner to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) “because that party of strange bedfellows wants to destroy this country, economically and politically.”
Your comment is insensitive — Atiku reacts
However, in a swift counter statement, Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, slammed George, describing his comment as insensitive and premature.
He said Atiku is more concerned about the plight of Nigerians occasioned by what he described as the failed trial-and-error policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“We cannot afford to put the cart before the horse. At this point, Atiku Abubakar’s preoccupation is not 2027. His concern is about 2024.
“It is about 2025 and 2026 and beyond. His concern is about the plight of Nigerians who are literarily going through hell because of the failed trial-and-error policies of this administration,” Ibe said.