Timi Frank to Bode George: You can’t decide Atiku’s 2027 fate

In a heated exchange, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has strongly criticised Chief Olabode George, a former deputy national chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

George had recently claimed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would not be President in 2027, suggesting that Atiku should wait until 2031 if he still wishes to contest for the presidency.

READ MORE: Consider retirement or wait till 2031 to be president, Bode George tells Atiku

Frank, in a statement issued in Abuja, dismissed George’s remarks as mere delusion and an ego trip, insisting that George lacks the power to determine Nigeria’s political future, particularly concerning the presidency in 2027.

George had earlier stated that a Southerner must occupy the presidency from 2023 to 2031, asserting that this aligns with the reality of Nigeria’s polity and the PDP constitution. However, Frank was quick to remind George that he does not have the divine authority to decide the fate of any political figure, including Atiku.

Frank, who also serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, did not hold back in his response. He criticised George for what he described as an inflated sense of self-importance, noting that George’s political influence has waned significantly.

READ MORE: PDP crisis: Bode George ‘advises’ Atiku to contest presidency in 2031 at 85

Frank further lambasted George for his past predictions and statements about current President Bola Tinubu, highlighting that George had vowed to renounce his Nigerian citizenship and move to Ghana if Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election.

Frank suggested that George’s recent comments about Atiku might be a desperate attempt to gain favour with the current administration, despite his previous miscalculations. “Let George publicly apologise to Tinubu for his 2023 political misjudgments,” Frank added, implying that such an apology might be necessary for George to regain political relevance.

Concluding his statement, Frank emphasised that Atiku’s political future rests in the hands of God and the Nigerian electorate, not in the opinions of figures like George. He pointed out that Atiku has consistently won his party’s primary elections without George’s support, underscoring that the former Vice President’s prospects do not depend on George’s approval.