•Bode George and Atiku Abubakar
Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has berated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for discussing a merger plan of the party without recourse to the authority of the party.
The Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, who spoke on Arise TV today, also condemned Atiku and others for visiting former President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that the PDP is not a private enterprise.
He said, “Why would our own strong members be heading to meet the leader of an opposition party? In any sane country, they’ll be fired. The same thing, Bola Tinubu told Nyesom Wike, go and deliver my FCT to APC. He didn’t say no.
“It’s equally animalistic. You either belong here, commit yourself to the party or you ship out.
“There’s nobody that he fixated on and said, it’s my own, “Emi Lokan. It’s your own like what? We’ll tell them. Because we were the first to be elected and those old men handed over the dictates, reforms, and procedures of managing the resources of this country for the betterment of the people.
“Our party had a crack, yes. I’m saying we’ve learnt a lesson. All these people dancing all around the place will be handled.
“At the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, we’ll put our home in order. And that’s when I’ll affirmatively confirm to you that yes, we’re ready for 2027.
“We have competent, loyal, dedicated, experienced Nigerians who can manage the resources of this country for the betterment of the people. Not for the betterment of their families. Not for the betterment of their children.”
On why the party has failed to discipline its members, he said, “We just don’t jump out like a rudderless party. There are programmes.
“You just don’t make a statement and say, go and sack this, go and sack that. It’s not a private freedom. It’s not a private enterprise of anybody. The NEC has the authority, which is the convention of the party. It’s the highest authority, followed by the NEC. The NEC hasn’t met. We’ll bring it up before then. It’s not only Wike. What about those who headed out and said they’re talking about a mega-party? I have said it before in this programme. I said that all of them, on both sides, have committed harakiri. And they cannot get away with it. If we want a party to be respected, a party that people will love, a party they will respect, a party they’ll adore, we’ll get back inside there and take appropriate action.
“It’s not a private freedom of anybody. And don’t get it wrong. You cannot just make a statement and say, you fired this, you fired that.
“We’ll give them the opportunity to defend themselves. They’ll come before the NEC, and the whole issue on all sides will be discussed.”
