Bode George, the former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed his dissatisfaction with the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) for its inability to secure victory in the 2023 presidential elections. George conveyed his concerns during a conversation with journalists in Lagos.
He criticized the NWC for departing from the established procedures that the PDP’s founding fathers had designed for conducting primary elections and congresses. George emphasized the need to revert to these established processes in order to enhance the party’s prospects in future elections.
George stated, “I worked at the national secretariat for 10 years, and the recurring issue in every election cycle is quite straightforward. It began during Uche Secondus’s tenure, and I prefer not to air our party’s internal matters publicly. It is a significant crisis but a straightforward one to resolve.”
He continued, “They altered the manner in which the founding fathers had structured the conduct of primaries and congresses; I won’t elaborate further. This is the primary issue afflicting the party. Our party is not the property of an individual, but some individuals act as if they are working on its behalf. These are the matters we will address in our party’s inner chambers, and we must effect changes. This was the approach employed during my time, and there were no crises.”
George provided an example of the issue, mentioning how primaries in Lagos, whether for the governorship or other positions, involved outsiders who had no knowledge of the local context conducting the process. He criticized the practice of outsiders seeking aspirants’ favor and acting as their financial backers, thereby undermining the integrity of the primaries.
He called for the establishment of a reconciliation committee to tackle these problems and chart a way forward for the PDP. George emphasized the importance of conducting a comprehensive assessment of the party’s experiences in each state during the 2023 elections, suggesting that a committee should investigate and gather information about the conduct of primaries, financial matters, and political aspects in each state.
