Peoples Democratic Party Chieftain, Chief Bode George has said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would have collapsed if he had won the 2023 presidential election and emerged president of the country.
George while speaking on the crisis in the PDP said this when he appeared on Arise TV Morning Show on Friday.
George said, “What am I looking for? Let us stand by the truth because it is only the truth that would liberate you. When we had that election, we divided the party (PDP) into two.
“If Atiku had won, I would have stayed in my house because I know for real (that) in future he would collapse. This country would never accept.
“If he had won that election you think this country would have been stable? Because somebody from the north had just finished eight years and our own norm is that after the eight years, the presidential candidate must come to the south. Those who are running around for appointments (we wish them) best of luck.”
George said the tilt of the party towards the north in the last election was fundamental to the problems in the party, mentioning the emergence of Atiku as the presidential candidate was responsible for completely disorganising the party.
He said by the time the former national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu left, it was too late to solve the problems, saying he (Ayu) reneged on the agreement to resign as chairman should the presidential candidate emerge from the north.
“By the time Ayu left, he should have left long before the election. There was an agreement. It was the emergence of Atiku from the north as a presidential candidate that completely disorganised the norm of the party.
“The moment we interfered with it, manipulating the whole process to satisfy Atiku, that’s where the problem started. For us to pretend as if there was not a problem, we are just wasting time,” he said.
George who said there were about three divisions in the party, said the opposition had lost its voice to challenge what he called the “nuisances and nuances going on in this country by the people in government.”
“We’ve got some deeper problems in the party. The party is almost divided now into three major sections and it’s not working,” he said.
George said he won’t serve as a member of the Disciplinary Committee formed by the party to probe errant members who worked against the party in the last general elections.
Recall the PDP on Wednesday, August 21, as parts of efforts to address the ongoing crisis within its camp, inaugurated, the Reconciliation Committee, chaired by former Osun State Governor Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and the Disciplinary Committee, led by High Chief Tom Ikimi.
George a member of the PDP’s Board of Trustees said the party by the composition of the committee jumped the gun in the hierarchy, faulting his nomination as a member of the disciplinary committee to serve under Ikimi who he said joined the party later than he did.
George who said there were party stakeholders who worked against the party in the last election based on the situation in various states, queried the disciplinary committee was inaugurated “to try who?”
He said rather than constituting committees, issues that informed the crisis in the party should be resolved.
“And I said to them I can’t serve under him (Ikimi), because when did he join the party? We know within ourselves the various groupings that are dividing the party, that’s what the party should sit down first and resolve.
“I know Tom very well, he met me in this party. The founding fathers handed over to us. So the culture of the party, the do’s and don’ts are with us. So you don’t make me be a member under somebody that I know in terms of hierarchy of the party, and say I should go and serve under him. I made that observation to them. And they said are you going to come, I said no I’m not.
“I will not serve under Ikimi. I’m been very frank with myself. How much information or depth does he have concerning our party? You don’t do things like that. It’s an observation and I’ve told the Chairman. At this age, I’m ready to stay home.
“Just setting up a committee, where will it lead you?” He questioned, saying emphasis should have been made to relate matters to the Board of Trustees.
“The main responsibility of the board of trustees is that we hold in trust the ownership of the party and that’s why we don’t do elections in the board of trustees. We want justice, we want fairness and the chairman of the Board of Trustees accepted and waded into it.
“The party is still in various directions, for now, let’s get together. What we did that led us to this crisis had not been resolved. People who are fighting for the presidential candidature, the manoeuvring and all that, let’s resolve that,” he said.
George who said the constitution of the committee is bent to one side of the divisions in the party, ruled out his active participation within the committee.
“The chairman of that committee is from one group, and the secretary of the committee is from the same group, so am I just to go there and sit and look like some undecided animal? No,” he said.
“We need to do a fundamental review of what went on during the last elections, come up with solutions, reunite everybody because a divided house will always remain a defeated house.
“This procedure we are wasting time, people are saying we are waiting for the PDP to provide a solid important opposition, rather than fighting within yourself,” he said
Punch