2027: There should be no glitch  —  Bode George advises INEC chair

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, to ensure that the commission puts measures in place to prevent any technical failure that could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

George gave the advice on Monday while speaking on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, recalling the technical challenges recorded during the 2023 presidential election.

“When Buhari bought the necessary tools, what did we do? We said there was a glitch. So, let’s reverse back, Mr Amupitan, there should be no glitch in this system,” George said.

INEC had acknowledged that a technical glitch affected the seamless operation of its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) during the 2023 presidential poll, an incident that generated widespread controversy and criticism.

Against this backdrop, George stressed the need for the electoral umpire to learn from past experiences and take proactive steps to guarantee a smooth and transparent electoral process in 2027.

The former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP also called for reconciliation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, urging both leaders to put the interest of the party above personal differences.

“I want to advise them. Enough of these shenanigans. In politics, whatever you want to do within your system, you do it,” George said.

Wike and Makinde, who were once close political allies, have recently been at the centre of a public dispute over issues relating to the leadership and future of the PDP.

Makinde had claimed that Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, told President Bola Tinubu that he would “hold down” the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections. 

According to the Oyo State governor, the remark was made during a meeting attended by himself, Wike, the president and others.

“I was in a meeting with the president and Wike and a few others, and Wike said to the president that I will hold PDP for you against 2027; I was in shock,” Makinde said during a media chat last week. “So, we got up, and I asked Wike, did we agree to this?”

However, Wike denied the allegation, describing it as false.

“That’s a blatant lie,” the FCT minister said during an end-of-year media interaction on Monday. “That is so unfair to say that I said that… If you look at that media chat, you will see that Makinde was frustrated.”

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