Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bode George, has raised concerns over the state of the opposition party, attributing its challenges to selfish interests.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Thursday to mark his 79th birthday, George called on party members and leaders to leverage the forthcoming National Convention to address critical issues and rescue the party.
“As a loyal party man who lives, thinks, talks, breathes, and defends the PDP, I have never left this party since it was formed, so today gives me a great opportunity to deliberate on the future of our party,” he said.
“All Is Not Well With Our Party”
George lamented the internal crisis plaguing the PDP, warning that failure to address the issues could push the party towards disaster.
“Even as elders of the party are preparing to meet on Nov. 28 in Abuja to chart the way forward, I owe it a duty to declare openly that all is not well with our party. In fact, our party is derailing.
“This is unfortunate because the crisis in our party has further complicated the present tragedy in the socio-economic indices of our dear nation.
“I am raising the alarm today that our party is at the precipice of a dangerous looming crisis if pending critical party issues are not urgently addressed,” George warned.
Selfish Interests and Divided Loyalties
The PDP stalwart expressed frustration with the actions of some party members who he described as “pretentious” and accused of working covertly for the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 elections.
“They have one leg in PDP and another leg in APC. Such chameleonic characters are the ones trying to dictate the direction of this party.
“In the name of everything that is dear to our great party, this pretension must be stopped immediately by patriotic members of this party.”
George added that the party’s founding fathers would be distressed by its current state, stating, “PDP has become a shadow of itself due to the selfish interests of some members.”
Call for Unity and Strategic Planning
Highlighting the importance of unity, George said that the PDP must position itself as the only party capable of saving Nigeria and displacing the APC in 2027.
“Unless we are united, with equity, fairness, and justice being the pedestal for any political decision taken, this party will be heading to disaster in 2027.
“If we want to win the 2027 presidential election, we should not allow ourselves to be divided, and those with divisive tendencies should be told in clear language that ‘Enough is Enough.’
“We must change the narratives now so that we don’t embark on a suicide mission, a self-destructive journey for our party in 2027.”
George urged party members to use the upcoming 99th National Executive Committee meeting as an opportunity to resolve differences and strengthen the party ahead of the next general elections.
Addressing the Rivers Crisis
Touching on the feud between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Minister of FCT Nyesom Wike, George advised Wike to “cool off immediately.” He also called on party leaders to support Fubara and ensure the unity of the PDP in Rivers State.
“We should not allow the collective unity of this party to be fragmented. How we collectively address the issues at stake will be a major determinant of the fate of this party in months and years to come.”
Elders Urged to Intervene
George appealed to PDP elders, including Bamanga Tukur, Jim Nwobodo, Goodluck Jonathan, Namadi Sambo, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and others, to convene a meeting ahead of the NEC gathering to discuss the party’s future.
“We cannot afford to fail and disappoint our founding fathers. Nigerians are waiting for us in 2027, but we must put our house in order.
“As leaders, we must not allow anybody to destroy our party because PDP is the only true national party,” he said.
The event was attended by PDP members, including Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the 2023 Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State.
