Lagos, Nigeria – Bode George, the former deputy national chairman (south) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), revealed that he would have left Nigeria if President Bola Tinubu had not sent Femi Gbajabiamila to intervene on his behalf. George expressed his concerns regarding Tinubu’s leadership, stating that he considered fleeing the country if Tinubu won the presidential election.
In January 2022, following Tinubu’s announcement of his presidential bid, George threatened to leave Nigeria, expressing doubts about Tinubu’s ability to represent the country effectively on the international stage. “I will move away from Nigeria… This is not the kind of person we can hand over this massive country to manage,” George stated, emphasizing his apprehension about Tinubu’s potential presidency.
During an interview with Arise TV, George recounted how Gbajabiamila, Tinubu’s chief of staff, appealed to him to remain in the country after Tinubu’s victory. “Once they heard that, Tinubu sent his chief of staff… to appeal to me. They knew they had wronged me,” he said.
PDP Crisis
George further addressed the ongoing crisis within the PDP, which he attributed to events leading up to the 2023 presidential election. He urged prominent party members, including Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate in the last election, to reconcile their differences and focus on resolving the internal disputes.
He highlighted that the party’s troubles began during the last presidential convention, where he confronted former party chair Iyorchia Ayu regarding his promise to resign if a northern presidential candidate emerged. “This is a breach of trust!” George exclaimed, stressing that having both the party chairman and presidential candidate from the same region is unconstitutional.
George called for unity among party leaders, emphasizing the need to shelve personal ambitions for the party’s rebuilding. “There is no organization in the world without crisis, but the ability to rebuild from the crisis is essential,” he noted.
Reflecting on the party’s disunity before the election, George shared an instance of a crucial meeting held just two days prior to the polls, where only a few key figures attended. He recounted Wike’s suggestion to support Tinubu, which he strongly opposed, asserting that such a decision would be detrimental to the party.
George concluded with a call for dialogue among the party’s leaders, urging them to trace the root of the crisis back to the presidential convention, as it marks the beginning of their challenges.
