“Why I Won't Be Part Of PDP Convention Again” - Bode George
A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic
Party, Chief Bode George, on Friday announced his withdrawal from the race for
the national chairmanship of the party.
He also lambasted Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State for
saying the people of the South-West did not deserve to produce the chairman of
the party.
George, who said he did not withdraw for any candidate, told
one of our correspondents during an interview on Friday evening that he would
not be participating in the congress on Saturday (today) as it was obvious that
the event would be a charade. While speaking at the headquarters of his
campaign office in Maitama District of Abuja, George, flanked by his
supporters, said it was wrong for the party not to “micro-zone” the office of the
national chairman, as against the zoning principle reinforced in Port Harcourt
last year.
He said, “The party has lost its soul. It has lost its
principled beginning and the predications of righteousness. It has traded the
finer principles of democratic guidance and equity for the squalid, dirty and
shameful resort to mercenary agenda, where nothing matters save the putrid,
oafish gains of the moment.
“I cannot be part of this screaming aberration. And as the
Atona of Yorubaland, I do not expect any well-meaning, well disciplined,
forthright, sincere Omoluabi of Yorubaland to continue with this deceit and
shameful theatre.
“The Peoples Democratic Party has now mangled and distorted
its soul and spirit. There is no morality here anymore. There is no sanity or
any sense of enlightened civility.
“As a result of these observed aberrations wherein the
position of the National Chairman has been apparently sold and auctioned to the
highest bidder, I as an Omoluabi and as an authentic Atona of Yorubaland, I will
not partake in this charade.
“I hereby withdraw from this brazen fraud and absolutely
preconceived, monetised, mercantilist convention.”
While describing Wike’s comments as unfortunate, George
argued that without any meaningful position, the South-West, which played a
huge role in the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, would not be
eager to support the PDP in 2019.
He said, “I have removed myself from the charade but I did
not step down for any individual. Governor Wike insulted the South-West badly
today. What does he take the Yoruba people for?
“He said there is no micro-zoning and then went ahead to say
we have nothing to bring to the table. How do you want the Yoruba people to
feel?
“He implied that the South-West is not an important zone and
that we should play second fiddle. It is not fair at all. I will not be going
to the congress.
“We have been spending so much money campaigning all over
the country. What do we tell our people when we return home? That the
South-West didn’t get it because we are not considered important?”
He therefore called on Wike to apologise to the Yoruba over his
comments.
Wike had said the South-West geopolitical zone did not
deserve to produce the next chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party because
the zone had no leader who could restore calm to the party.
Wike, who said the current crisis in the PDP emanated from
the South-West, argued that the South-South zone, which is largely ruled by the
PDP, deserves to produce the chairman in today’s national congress.
The governor said this during a Channels Television
programme, ‘Sunrise Daily’, on Friday.
Source: Punch
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