2027: PDP must stick to zoning – Bode George

A former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Deputy Chairman, Bode George, says the party must stick to its power rotation grundnorm between the North and South to win in 2027.

George said this while fielding questions from newsmen during his address to the nation, titled “My Thoughts on The State of Our Country in the Last 25 Years: A Time to Chart A New Direction”.

He was reacting to a recent statement made by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and PDP 2023 Presidential candidate that he would drop his ambition in 2027 if the party picks the Labour Party Presidential candidate in 2023, Mr Peter Obi.

George said power rotation must be sacrosanct, adding that the PDP should have learnt its lessons from the defeat of 2023.

He said: “Our party has a grundnorm. The constitution of our party as compiled by the founding father, Baba Ekwueme (former Vice President Alex Ekwueme) and his team will remain a guiding light.

“We have paid a big price for not following the rule. We have made mistakes, let us learn. It has cost us too much.

“Section 7 sub section 3C states very clearly that the party must adhere to the zoning and rotation procedures for party positions and elective positions simultaneously for things to work well.”

According to him, power rotation, as embedded in the party’s constitution, was to guard against any situation that might bring back the military to power.

He said that the party’s founding fathers divided the country into six geo-political zones to capture the majority and minority tribes and give all a sense of belonging.

“This is because the problem since 1960 is between majority tribes and minority tribes.

“The majority tribe will have their way, but the minority will just be mere onlookers. That was the major cause of coups and counter coups,” he said.

George added that the party’s founding fathers came up with the idea that the top six positions in the land be shared by the six geo-political zones for equity and justice.

He listed the positions as offices of the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the party.

He added: “They (founding fathers) agreed that every eight years, all the positions held by northern zones should come to the south zones, vice versa, for rotation.

“The moment we (the PDP) started tinkering with that idea officially against our grundnorm, that was what created division in PDP.”