The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Iyorchia Ayu must go if the party hopes to win in the South, especially, the Southwest, a member of the Board of Trustees and former National Deputy Chairman South, of the Party, Chief Olabode George, has insisted.
He spoke with Sunrise News, in his Lagos office on Friday, just as party stalwarts from the Southwest States of Oyo, Ondo, Ogun and Osun distanced from the demand by the Oyo State Governor Mr Seyi Makinde for Ayu’s resignation in the interest of fairness and equity in the party.
Bode George, who is the leader of the Southwest caucus of the Party said that Ayu’s continued refusal to step down may cost the party victory in the forthcoming Presidential election in 2023.
“At an enlarged meeting of all leaders of the party, it was on record that the National Chairman of the party pledged to all members that in the event that the presidential candidate of the party happened to come from the North, he would be willing to step down in the interest of the party. Why then would it be difficult for the National Chairman, who is seen to be a decent man to abide with his pledge.
“I have heard series of allegations some were alleging that I, Bode George is siding with Governor Nyesom Wike because I wanted to be the National Chairman. Some even said I should not be joining the fray but helping in finding a solution to the crisis. But I must say at this stage and age, I would be disappointing myself if I would not be able to speak the truth and help in building the basis for a virile party.
“I do not intend to become the National Chairman. When I gunned for it before and lost and I have since moved on. But there are so many people from the South who are qualified and can hold the party together. The founding fathers of the PDP in their wisdom had so arranged the distribution of positions within the party that no elective and party office can come from the same zone.”
George, the Atona of Oodua and former National Deputy Chairman of the PDP spoke on Friday, with Sunrise News, in his Lagos office.
Observing that 24 hours is too far for politicians, George said there is ample time for the party to put its house in order and do the right thing, in order not to jeopadise the interest of the party in the forthcoming election.
He said: “Right now, the South and am not talking of Southwest alone, is at a loss in the political calculation. What would they use to campaign to their people? Who would believe us in the South if we say they should understand, especially as the other party is already using the issue of being a Southerner to campaign? That is why I am insisting that for fairness, equity and justice for which our party has been well known, the party should readjust the party offices in the overall interest of the nation.”
“How do I go to campaign and tell our people, to vote for Atiku who is from the Northeast? I have nothing personal against him, but card carrying members are fewer than the electorates. They want to listen to what PDP is bringing to them. We need to remind our friends from across the Niger River that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. If we are saying that encourage the members in the south, lets have something to show our people that we are ready to serve them. Bola Tinubu is APC candidate. He would tell the people that he has brought them the Presidential candidate ticket, and what do I tell them when we go out to convince them to follow us?
He observed that the way the party was founded spoke of the desire of the founding fathers to erase mistrust and imequality and injustice that has devilled he nation, adding that sadly the present crop of leaders because of personal interest are trying to erase the tradition of the party.
The way the founding fathers conceptualized this party was brilliant. The people who would ordinarily not even shake hands had in 1998 came together: Chief Bola Ige, from the Southwest, Alex Ekwueme, and Jim Nwobodo, from the East, Chief Solomon Lar, Chiroma from Yobe, Prof Aminu, Bamanga Tukur, Chief Sunday Awoniyi from Kogi, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, from Kano, they all came together, to find a solution to this nagging problem that will always bring the military back into government and resolve the friction of the majority versus the minority, both North and South. They divided Nigeria into three geo-political zones, North and South, and they further said there are six top positions in the land –President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker, Secretary to Government and National Chairman of the party. Every zone, whether majority or minority would go home with one of these top positions. You won’t go home with zero. And after eight years, all positions in the North would reverse to the South and vice versa. It means even the minority can become President, because as you re-zone, you rotate. That was what guaranteed democratic dispensation for 16 unbroken years. That was what made the PDP a truly national party. The way they conceived it, the position of the National Chairman of the party and the President if we are in government can never be from the same zone. If Number One goes to the North, Number Two goes to the South, Number Three goes to the North, Number Four goes to the South, Number Five goes to the North, Number Six goes to the South.”
Bode George said though the founding fathers never envisaged that there would be a Presidential candidate outside the PDP, yet some politicians wanted to distort the balance and foundation laid by the founders of the party by circumventing the constitution of the party.
The PDP Elder stateman said to prevent further collateral damage to the fabrics of the party, the party had resolved that once this phase of the party is over, all rules and conventions of the party must be written down to prevent a situation where people would attempt to trample on the conventions and rules of the party. “We must insist that all positions whether elective and party offices are well spelt out and defined at least six months before any party convention and election cycle. That way everybody would be clear as to what is going where and why,” Chief George added.