Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George has advised ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to forget about contesting the 2027 Presidential election, saying he would have been too old at the time to govern the country.
George, who spoke with newsmen at his Lugard office in Lagos on Wednesday, also called on President Bola Tinubu to call a meeting of retired military officers to devise solutions to tackle the current security challenges.
According to him, Atiku should be like a big uncle in the room to be mentoring the younger ones instead of thinking about 2027 contest.
Daily Trust reports that Atiku who was PDP Presidential candidate in the last election would be 81-year old in 2027.
George speaking on the presidency insisted that the PDP should be firm about zoning the Presidency of 2027 to the South, saying the Northern part of Nigeria had enjoyed its eight uninterrupted years.
He also advised those championing Mega Party in the PDP to quit, saying the PDP would not be part of any mega party.
“No other party is as entrenched and national in all concepts than the PDP. In 2027 I can’t tell anybody not to contest but our party must be definitive that the Presidency must remain in the South since the North has finished its eight years,” he added.
George also described the security situation in the country as “horrendous and heart-rending.”
He called on Yinubu to wake up and tackle the rising insecurity even as he stated that he feels pity for the President for the “deluge of crises” before him.
According to George, the high level of insecurity has further underscored the need to have a state police and “Tinubu must not shy away from that.”
The elder statesman called on the President to implement the 2014 National Confab report commissioned by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“We are failing on security and I want to call on the President to invite all elders to come for a discussion. The issue of insecurity has become a national calamity,” he said.
He condemned the murder of two traditional rulers in Ekiti State and the kidnap of school pupils, describing the murder as sacrilegious.
“The President has to wake up. I pity him because he has this deluge of crises. Unfortunately he cannot complain because it is the same party that is in power,” he added.
He said the issue of insecurity can be resolved if those in power are “honest and committed,” adding, “The whole nation is in a state of quagmire. This is not an issue of APC or PDP, everybody is affected.”
