Step down for younger people in 2027, Bode George tells Atiku

Atiku Abubakar and Bode George

Step down for younger people in 2027, Bode George tells Atiku

Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, has advised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step down for younger people to contest the presidential election in 2027.

He made this appeal in an interview on Arise Television on Thursday.

He noted that Atiku would be 81 years in 2027, and he would be too old at the time to govern the country.

The PDP chieftain said Atiku should be mentoring the younger ones instead of thinking about contesting in 2027.

George said, “My brother Atiku Abubakar was 77 years old last year, and by 2027 he will be 81 years old. Atiku should give room for younger Nigerians, who still have the energy and the brain to develop the country.

“Atiku should be in a situation where he plays like the big uncle in the room or the elder in the room.

“What would anybody carry me now to do because I’m heading to 80 years old and I want to go and be a minister? To do what?

“Let’s mentor the younger generation, and let’s be consistent with our strong belief in our party norms.

“No other party is as entrenched and national in all concepts as 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 said.

George also described the security situation in the country as “horrendous and heartbreaking.”

He called on President Bola Tinubu to call a meeting of retired military officers to devise solutions to tackle the current security challenges.

The PDP chieftain urged Tinubu to wake up and confront insecurity, saying he felt 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.”

George said, “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.”