A Former PDP National Chairman and a current BOT Member of the PDP, Chief Bode George has questioned whether the country would have been stable if Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had won the 2023 election given the North’s recent eight-year presidency. He stated that after Atiku’s win in the PDP primary, Wike felt a sense of injustice towards the South and this led to tensions within the party.
He also highlighted that the vice presidential candidate chosen by Atiku had met with Southern Governors in Asaba promising that the party’s presidential candidate would come from the South. He expressed disappointment that the party ignored these issues and suffered the consequences in the 2023 polls. He emphasized the need to learn from these errors and prioritize truth and fairness in the party’s decision-making processes.
He said in an interview with Arise TV From 38:28, ”Let us stand by the truth because it’s only the truth that will liberate us. When we had the primary election, the party was divided into two. Even the vice Presidential candidate that Atiku chose, he had a meeting with all the Southern Governors in Asaba before the party primary election and he said that the party Presidential candidate must come from the South. And after Atiku won, Wike was enraged because he felt it was injustice to the South.
If Atiku had won the election, do you think this country would have been stable? Somebody from the North has just finished eight years and our norms is that after the eight years, the Presidential candidate must come to the South. So when we saw the issues and they ignored them, we wished them best of luck. Those who were lobbying for appointment at that time, have they gotten any today? We are still stuck at the same spot since we made that terrible mistake as a party.”