PDP Crisis: Bode George Reacts To Move To Sanction Wike, Ortom, Others

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has cautioned the leadership of the party against sanctioning five of its governors.

Recall that Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) have been consistent in their call for the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

Wike and his allies specifically noted that since a northerner, Atiku Abubakar, emerged as the party’s presidential candidate, it would be unfair for Ayu to remain as the PDP chairman.

In their determination to press home their demand, the five governors resigned their membership of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council.

Following these developments, there have been calls for the sanctioning of the governors to instill some elements of discipline among party members.

In a chat with The Punch, George said the party should be looking for ways to pacify the aggrieved governors and their allies instead of planning to sanction them.

The member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) urged Ayu to resign from his position and allow a Southerner to replace him as the party chairman.

According to the PDP chieftain, there is a need for an equitable distribution of the party’s elective offices in line with the PDP constitution.

He said, “As an elder, we will continue to appeal to Ayu to put on his thinking cap. Atiku should remain a nationalist because he wants to govern Nigeria.

“Even if the party wants to do so (sanction them), the time is not now. As an elder of the party, if Atiku remains completely adamant that he will not listen and Ayu is blowing tantrums all over the place, whatever anybody wants to do, they will do it. These governors are not pawns on the chessboard, and Atiku should know this.

“Atiku can’t be talking about the constitution of the party now. Could he have emerged as a presidential candidate if we had not set aside our constitution? What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”

George advised Atiku to remain a nationalist and stop playing games with the aggrieved governors if he wants to win the 2023 presidential election.

He added: “Even if Atiku wins today, he has already planted discord in the minds of the people. Atiku met with these governors and told them he would bring the chairmanship to the South. If he is playing games with these governors, they are also ready to play games with him. He (Atiku) is thinking that he is already in the Aso Rock Villa.

“People are lying to Atiku, telling him he would win without these governors but he doesn’t know how angry our people (South-West) are. The whole North will vote for him and let’s see how he will get 25 percent of the South-West’s vote.”