A foundation leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has taken former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to the cleaners for visiting former President Muhammadu Buhari to market a brewing coalition that would birth a mega-party.
George, former Deputy National Chairman of the opposition PDP, expressed disappointment with Atiku’s move, saying the PDP Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election shunned his party members to discuss his coalition agenda with Buhari, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He spoke on Arise Television’s “The Morning Show” today Tuesday.
Atiku has been rallying opposition figures for a mega-party that would wrest power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
However, George dismissed the coalition agenda, indicating it is a ploy to weaken the PDP, the country’s main opposition party.
Rather, he urged PDP members to “come home and work together” for the party ahead of 2027.
According to him, the mega-party Atiku was championing was to feather the former Vice President’s ambition.
“Those who are now forming mega-party, what is the purpose of that mega-party. 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 is a private fiefdom? Is PDP a private company? Nobody owns PDP. 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 said.
On Atiku’s visit to Buhari, the PDP chieftain blasted the ex-vice President for taking his coalition campaign to Buhari, who, according to George, beat him ‘like a little kid’ in the 2019 presidential election.
George particularly raised eyebrows on Atiku’s motive for visiting Buhari with fellow Northerners.
He said: “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 like a little kid, and then you are running there. 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. In fact, my conclusion was: What is this man trying to do with this mega-party? Is he trying to divide Nigeria from the north and then the South?”
According to him, Atiku’s move is a ploy to get another presidential ticket without regard for the unwritten zoning arrangement between the northern and southern parts of the country.
He said: “Atiku got the ticket in 2019, and in 2023, he got the ticket again. Now, he’s trying to get the ticket again.
“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.”
