Former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has refuted claims that the PDP structure in Lagos State and across Nigeria is crumbling. He made the remarks during a strategic meeting with party stakeholders held in Lagos.
The rebuttal follows recent defections by prominent Lagos PDP members, including the party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran and the state publicity secretary, Alhaji Hakeem Amode, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The defectors claimed that the PDP had effectively collapsed into the APC — a claim George dismissed as “utter nonsense.”
George insisted that the PDP remains deeply rooted and resilient despite recent challenges. “Every political organization faces difficulties at some point. But let me be clear the PDP is still standing strong. We are not dead, and we are not going anywhere,” he said.
He criticized the defectors, labeling them as politically insignificant and ungrateful. Expressing regret over the party’s decision to back Jandor in the last gubernatorial election, George described the endorsement as a misstep. “It was a mistake to have allowed him carry our flag,” he said.
“It is absolutely false to say that the PDP structure has collapsed into the APC. We are like the Iroko tree tested by storms but deeply rooted,” George added, reinforcing his message of party unity and endurance.
He further emphasized that the party is taking lessons from past electoral failures and pledged that future candidacies would emerge through democratic processes. “No more impositions. From now on, candidates will emerge through the will of the people,” he assured.
Turning to the political crisis in Rivers State, George called on President Bola Tinubu to reinstate suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, stressing the need to respect the democratic mandate of the people. He warned against undermining Nigeria’s democracy, especially in volatile regions.
He also raised concerns over President Tinubu’s recent request to the National Assembly to approve emergency-related appointments in Rivers State, suggesting it signaled dangerous centralization of power.
Instead of political maneuvering, George urged the President to focus on critical national issues such as insecurity, food scarcity, rising unemployment, and worsening social conditions.
The stakeholders’ meeting attracted several key figures within the PDP, including Senators and senior party officials, all reaffirming their commitment to reviving and strengthening the party ahead of future elections.