Veteran politician and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Bode George, has sharply criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari. George described the meeting as a betrayal of PDP values and questioned Atiku’s intentions behind forming a political coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, George said Atiku’s actions show disregard for the PDP and its members. He accused the former presidential candidate of sidelining his own party to promote a coalition plan with Buhari, who is a prominent figure in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“This is not how party politics is done,” George said. “You don’t ignore your own people, run off to the opposition, and expect us to follow you blindly. PDP is not a private company.”
The PDP crisis deepened following Atiku’s call for opposition parties to form a mega party that could challenge President Bola Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 general elections. But George dismissed the idea, claiming it’s just another attempt by Atiku to push his personal ambition—after securing PDP’s presidential ticket in both 2019 and 2023.
He also questioned the motive behind Atiku’s visit to Buhari, especially since the 2019 election saw Buhari defeat Atiku. George said the group that visited the former president was made up mostly of northern politicians, raising concerns about regional bias in the proposed coalition.
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“Is this a plan to divide the country along regional lines?” George asked. “This so-called mega party idea doesn’t reflect the unity PDP stands for. If Atiku really cared about the party, he would bring his ideas to the table for discussion, not take them to the same man who defeated him.”
According to George, the repeated push by Atiku to lead the party undermines the PDP’s unwritten zoning arrangement, which favors rotating the presidency between the north and the south. He reminded the public that Buhari, a northerner, just completed eight years, and it would be unjust for the north to push for another presidential term so soon.
Amid growing concerns over the PDP crisis, George urged party members to unite and focus on rebuilding from within, rather than getting distracted by what he called “self-serving coalitions.”
“This isn’t about any one person,” he said. “Let’s work together, not tear each other apart for personal gain. We need to come home and build the party, not tear it down.”
