An elder statesman and a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has declared support for Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in the quest to oust the party’s national chairman for the sake of equity and justice. Bode George asserted that the PDP is not a private company, saying that those criticizing Governor Wike for fighting for equity in the PDP should stop henceforth.
The PDP former Deputy National Chairman, South., asserted that the party can only regain power in 2023 only if members are united.
Bode George, therefore, declared: “the issue of the national chairman of the party must be addressed before the commencement of the campaign for the 2023 general elections.
“We can only go back to Aso Rock if we are united, not divided.
“Some people are abusing Governor Wike that he is a troublesome, trouble shooter; those abusing him.
“As an elder, as a father in this party, I am directing them to stop immediately, because Governor Wike is only fighting for justice, Equity, and fairness in our party.
“He is not just a strong pillar in this party, but a mobilizer, financial and actualizer.”
George recalled the 2014 exodus in the PDP when those who control the party today and using it for the 2023 presidential election dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC), but returned afterwards for their ambitions on the PDP platform.
The PDP elder highlighted: “since I joined the PDP, I have not left the party. I am also a member of the founding fathers of this party; and since 1998, I have not left this party.”
He declared: “what we are saying is that it is antiracist and against the law and culture of our party that our presidential candidate, that our national chairman, and the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) came from one section of the country; party members of the south are already feeling left behind. “PDP is not a private company.
“Before we start the presidential campaign this month, the PDP national chairman must go to the south.
“This is all that Governor Wike is saying.
“And as a live member of the party, the Board of Trustees (BOT) in our part, I 100 per cent support the decision.”
Bode George noted that legally, the national chairman hands over the party flag to the presidential candidate. He asked: “how will the party members of the south feel, when they see that in all the political rallies, southerners have no political representation.
“This constitutes a fundamental fraud and lack of inclusiveness, which should be diametrically opposed to the original thinking of the founding fathers of our party.”
George maintained: “And if Ayu had remained perpetually in the party, he would have learnt the role better. “Hence, Governor Wike is not saying anything out of anger, but only telling the truth to power.”
he cautioned: “We do not want to have another Peoples Democratic Party; and the Southern People Democratic Party.
“We do not want to go into elections divided; we do not want them to remind us that, this is time for amalgamation to be revisited.
“Hence, we have to be extremely careful as we move around. What is good for the goose, is good for the gander. “That is the reason the national chairman must come to the south now, as a matter of urgency. We are not begging for it; we demand it because it is our right.”