Bode George, the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) former Deputy National Chairman, said yesterday that he would not support the party’s presidential nominee, Atiku Abubakar, unless the national chairmanship was assigned to the South-West.
George asserted that Northerners had controlled the party’s leadership for almost 25 years when appearing on the Arise TV Morning Show on Tuesday morning.
George, one of the party stakeholders calling for Senator Iyorcha Ayu’s resignation as national chairman, said that reconciliation would be possible if the party hierarchy “gives unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar” when discussing the possibility of the party resolving its internal crisis before the 2023 elections. Ayu is from the North-Central while the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku is from the North-East. Some stakeholders in the party including five governors and George have said it is unfair for northerners to hold both positions. They have called for the resignation of Ayu, and his replacement with a southerner for the ‘sake of fairness’.
It is not a problem that cannot be solved, he declared. Give Caesar what Caesar is due, that is all we are asking. Give us what is ours, please. Nigeria’s Turn by Turn Limited, as an illustration of why I am upset, consider the fact that the first chairman was the late Papa Solomon from North-Central, chairman number two, North-Central. Audu Ogbe, the third chairman, is from North Central, the fourth chairman, my “oga,” Dr. Ahmadu Ali, was from the North-Central region, as was (Kawu) Baraje from Kwara. You now have Ayu, which is likewise in North-Central.
Since the party’s founding nearly 25 years ago, the South-West has never held this position. What do we do wrong? You must unite all the tribes and people if you want to lead this nation, as you claim to do. That is the main issue, and until it is fixed, I won’t support our own candidate.
