A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George yesterday said that a northerner cannot be the presidential candidate of the party in 2027.

Speaking during a press briefing to address issues in the party, he also warned that the party risks losing the 2027 election and becoming extinct if the forces in the party are not united.

He stated that party unity and inclusiveness of all members “Are ingredients to a viable strategy for our future electoral victories.”

But he noted that some people are already driving the idea of a northerner as the saviour in 2027, saying the outcome would be calamitous for the party.

“A Northerner cannot be the presidential candidate of our party in 2027, pure and simple.

“The earlier some members pushing this agenda know this truth, the better for our collective sanity. PDP members must understand this reality before it is too late that a PDP member from the Southern part of the country must be our candidate and we must all support him to defeat the APC candidate in the 2027 elections.

“Until 2031, nobody should think of contesting for the presidential ticket of our party from the North. The real elders in our party should stand up and say the truth.”